Caregivers and Social Media-Helping or Hindering?

Naomi Cahn sent me a link of a November 21, 2013 article by Sherri Snelling published in Forbes on Social Media Dangers for the Modern Caregiver.  Ms. Snelling, in writing about online etiquette for sharing information related her personal experiences where shortly after her father died, a relative posted this on a social media site.  Concurrently, a friend called and when telling her friend about her dad’s death, she neglected to tell her friend that this news was confidential.  The friend posted about his death online.

As a result, Ms. Snelling writes about being deluged with texts and social media alerts from supportive individuals, but the timing was wrong-she was still coming to grips with her dad’s death.  She goes on to relate similar experiences of friends, and suggests the use of “three fundamental guidelines for caregivers and their friends.” 1.  in using social media “[r]emember you’re not just speaking for yourself” and one’s comfort level in sharing personal information may be oversharing for others (quoting Naomi on this point).  2.  Think about why you are sharing this information and who does it “help” by sharing it? 3. Use social media to make connections, not isolation. Ms. Snelling discusses how social media can provide help and support for caregivers but can also make them feel left out of life’s activities.  She closes her article with this:

Words can be powerful, especially online, but actions and empathy will always speak louder. Those who really want to support caregivers won’t do it just by posting on social media but by lending a hand and always keeping in mind this old adage: “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”