I had a long meeting today with some friends in an organization that does a lot to help mums. We are talking about how we may extend what we do in the face to face world to the virtual world.
Many young mums already use Facebook. We debated how we might use it to extend what we do.
Of course, we don't know the answer. Any suggestions?
I can only look for now at what others are doing? How are others using Facbook and other social media tools to help each other when confronted with major challenges that we would normally keep private?
In my family, a recurring curse is depression. I have been spared but my sisters both have this as does my niece. It has been part of our family for generations and has been at the heart of much heartbreak and death. It has been one of our family "secrets". But has keeping it a secret helped us?
Part of the suffering of depression is that non depressives cannot fathom it. "Buck up and take your meds!" or "Are you insane" are frequent responses.
Part of the suffering is that most suffer on their own surrounded by those who have no idea of what it is like.
Looking at it like this - the answer is no - keeping this reality that everyone finds out about anyway a "secret" has not been a help. The secret has been actually the problem.
My dear Niece Astrid has decided to act. She wants to end her isolation and to look for and to offer help.
Here is a link to her Facebook group. There is already a wonderful conversation going on - I am so proud of her courage to try this.
Which brings me to my other point - I am so frustrated with most of the current discussion about social media - so much of it is about the tools and features of the tools. What I want to learn more about is how can we use them to make a difference.
Imagine it is 1540. All the new media conferences are about Ink and Type. Yes for printers these were important. But for the world - they could not have cared less. What was important was that people who had no power coud get their ideas out there and make a difference.
It was these people like Luther and their ideas that changed the world not a new printing technique.
The conferences that I would enjoy would be ones where people who are getting their power back by using these tools told their stories. I want to hear from Astrid or Tara at UFIT or Jack's people at KETC
I want to hear from you about what you are doing or what you would like to do
