Many of my friends have used Facebook to chronicle their journey with cancer and honor those they lost . The social networking site provides a way to keep in touch with friends and family who may live across the country or around the world.
Facebook can play a key role in helping mesothelioma patients and their families as they navigate a difficult life journey filled with treatment, difficulty and loss. Often you can find support from family and friends by simply signing in
A study of 2011 entitled "In search of support on Facebook: Analysis of breast Groups cancer content" . And published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research explains that online communities are "virtual social spaces where people meet to get and give information or support to learn or find company.??
researchers identified 620 of these groups containing more than 1 million members. The groups focused on fundraising, awareness, product / promotion or service / support patient caregivers
Here are some ways you and your family can enjoy the Facebook Support provides :.
Post status updates on your Timeline
when you create a Facebook account, you can search for friends and family members and ask them to become your friends. You ?? ll want to check the privacy settings in your account, so that your messages are limited to your friends list, whether it ?? is what you prefer.
If you are struggling mesothelioma, you can write messages to your own timeline and Facebook will display these messages to your friends. If your spouse or another family member is cancer of a fight, you should ask them before posting on their journey.
messages on someone else ?? s Timeline
If your loved one's fight against cancer, you can post a comment or a note of encouragement to their Facebook Timeline. Just find them in your list of friends and go to their page to leave a note.
If the person has not shared their battle against cancer on Facebook, you should keep your generic comments. Some good examples! "Praying for you" ". Sending lots of love your way"
- "I think you today and wishing you well. "
Share of Someone Else ?? post
If you see a post in your News Feed that you really like, you can feel free to share the post with your friends. Just click on ?? Share, ?? which appears below the message. You can also add a comment when you share a post.
sure ?? As ?? Mesothelioma Center Facebook page ?? s. Then you can share these messages with your friends list.
Create a private group
Some of my friends have set up private groups on Facebook, so that a small group of friends and family can see their updates day, but not all their friends. For example, many people wish to share their experience of cancer with their close friends, but not with their colleagues or extended family.
To create a group, go to your home page, then go to groups [section in the left menu and click Create a group . Click + Create new group top of the page. A window appears where you will be able to add a group name, add members and select privacy settings for your group. Click Create when finished.
There are three privacy options for groups on Facebook, so make sure you select the settings you want for your group.
public groups allow everyone to join and everyone to see all your messages. Closed groups view your messages to a select group of people. Others may see the name of your group and can apply to join. Secrets groups will not be seen by anyone unless a group member added someone.
Create a legacy Contact
Earlier this year, I lost a friend to cancer. In the past, Facebook has disabled his account. Fortunately, Facebook has recently updated its policy, and relatives may continue to display on the page of my ?? s friend.
Facebook now allows users to choose a "contact inheritance" to manage their page after death. This person would also be able to update the photos on the page. While we wait for a cure, mesothelioma patients may wish to consider selecting an existing contact.
To do "Settings", open and search for "security". You ?? ll see "Legacy Contact" as the last option on the list. You can select someone to manage your account or check a box to delete your account when you die.
If you need extra help with Facebook, consider asking a friend or tech-savvy family member. They usually know exactly what to do! You can also check the Help page of Facebook.
This is the second of a two part series on Facebook and cancer.Read part. You can still comment or share your story on the Facebook page of mesothelioma Centre ??.
