Blogging

Friday, 23 December 2011

Social media, in all its forms, provides an opportunity to reach out further than possibly imagined a decade ago. We can share information with someone the other side of the world and it takes a few seconds. Ordinary members of the public can reach out to celebrities, politicians and global figures. With the click of a mouse you can re-tweet an idea or create a worldwide trend with an appropriately placed hash-tag.

The cancer community is developing a very strong online presence. Blogs, vlogs, forums, twitter, facebook and all their counterparts have become places of support and solidarity for those going through or watching their loved ones go through the toughest time of their lives.

They have become unlikely centres for therapy. One can imagine the certain level of comfort provided in the knowledge that even at 3am someone affected by cancer can communicate with a whole host of different of people.

Community spirit is not and should not be confined to the verbal. The online community is a perfect platform to develop personal identity and support.

When you are online, you are never alone and with a disease that takes away so much control from its sufferer it is important to feel like you are a part of something bigger. Web 2.0 has allowed cancer sufferers to regain their identity; they are not just that guy or girl with cancer. Blogging and tweeting allows them to manage their own experience effectively.

There are hundreds of blogs online, documenting hundreds of people’s daily struggle with a determined disease however a few struck a certain cord with me. I admire the blunt nature by which some bloggers approach the topic of their illness. Memorable titles to name a few include “Bladylocks”, “Uniboob” and “Coppafeel”. There was also the twitter trend #BlameDrewsCancer, in which everything from minor annoyances to global disasters were blamed on Drew’s Cancer.

One hugely inspirational trend on Twitter was #AlicesBucketList, a terminally ill 15 year old girl who decided to write a wish list of everything she would like to do. Her mission was embraced and re-tweeted and she now has over 15,000 followers.

There is something quite special about a community based on the concept of sharing information in 146 characters or less providing so much reciprocated contact between individuals.

Three of our service users at Cancer Support Scotland have bravely decided to tell their story in blog form. Margaret Donaldson, Gary McRandle and Shaun McGarrigle will be telling us about their journey on the new STV Glasgow website.