Have you seen this on Facebook?

[Melaine]

Ok, this is literally the stupidest thing I have ever seen and I was just wondering if anyone else has come across it. I have seen several young teen girls on my facebook this week with a status similar to this:

"I'm 9 weeks and craving ice cream"

I saw several in a row so I googled it. I was having a hard time believing that these young teens were pregnant and were willing to flaunt it publicly and enthusiastically. Sure enough, it's a stupid joke: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110830192608AAXLe1y

I was just amazed and think it is really stupid to put something in your status like that. I mean, some of these people have 100's of friends and how can you expect no one to take it seriously? Some of them are friends with grandma, you know? Do they want to give grandma a heart attack? Or maybe they are trying to get attention?

I just don't understand facebook sometimes and maybe I am just too old and should close my account, because this isn't funny to me! Anyone seen it?

[TwinFoxes]

The one friend who did this is older than I am, and has 4 kids including two adult children. It's odd, because she's verrrry conservative. I don't know what got into her! I know I'm a spoilsport, but all of those "clever" status changes are just stupid to me.

[BayGirl2]

Sounds kind of similar to when women were posting the color of their bra w/o explanation. IIRC it was meant to be a united against breast cancer kind of thing, or similar cause. Many of my adult friends did that and it seemed like a fairly positive vibe.

Really doesn't bother me much. I don't think its that much different from silly "inside jokes" I had with my friends when I was a preteen/teen, except that we were probably passing paper notes in class instead.

People can jump to all kinds of conclusions about what the post means, but I don't really see that as harmful.

[KrisM]

I also think it's dumb. I googled it too. And, if I were someone struggling with fertility, I would be in tears today.

[JoyNChrist]

Meh. I found it a little off-putting when I saw some teenage girls posting it, but then I found it pretty funny when I saw some of my mommy friends post it and all the hilarious comments they got.

Not something I'll do myself, just because I think it's silly, but I don't find it terrible or offensive.

[Melaine]

I also think it's dumb. I googled it too. And, if I were someone struggling with fertility, I would be in tears today.

Someone online mentioned that too. I guess I will just let it go but I'm tempted to post something in my status in response. Oh well. I'm just annoyed by it.

[MSWR0319]

Well that explains one of My high school friends posts. She posted "I'm 3 weeks and craving starburst" and all I could think was how the heck can you know your pregnant at 3 weeks. She's not one that would know she can test before she misses her period. I don't get it though. Doesn't offend me, I just find it strange.

[amldaley]

I find all of these to be fairly silly. I did the one a few years ago for bra color for breast cancer awareness and have never done another b/c frankly, how did that increase breast cancer awareness?

Now that the games have gone to totally pointless, I don't play at all.

I also 98% of the time don't do the "if you agree copy and repost this...most of you won't...blah blah blah." I refuse to be coerced in to a status update.

Then again, I only have about 125 friends and use Facebook to actually keep up with friends and family.

[amldaley]

I also think it's dumb. I googled it too. And, if I were someone struggling with fertility, I would be in tears today.

I had not thought of that. I have not been keenly aware of people who struggle when TTC until DD's godmother was faced with that. This is a good point.

Based on the simplicty of the game, the weeks starting so early and the cravings being all random things that aren't "classic" pregnancy cravings, I would bet a teen or young adult created this game and never took such a thing as TTC in to consideration.

[bcafe]

One of my friends posted this as her status and I did think she was pg. She messaged me and it is another one about breast cancer awareness. It has nothing to do about men being dumb.

[buddyleebaby]

One of my friends posted this as her status and I did think she was pg. She messaged me and it is another one about breast cancer awareness. It has nothing to do about men being dumb.

I think someone added the "breast cancer awareness" bit hoping more people would participate. I got a message in my inbox- it read:




Ok pretty ladies, it's that time of year again, in support of breast cancer awareness!! So we all remember last years game of writing your bra color as your status?.....or the way we like to have our handbag handy? Remember last year so many people took part that it made national news and, the constant updating of status reminded everyone why we're doing this and helped raise awareness!! Do NOT tell any males what the status' mean, keep them guessing!! And please copy and paste (in a message )this to all your female friends to see if we can make a bigger fuss this year than last year!!! I did my part... now YOUR turn ! Go on ladies...and let's have all the males guessing! .. It's time to confuse the men again (not that its really that hard to do :)) Everyone knows it makes their brains work wonders on what we're talkin about!! The idea is to choose the month you were born and the day you were born. Pass this on to the GIRLS ONLY and lets see how far it reaches around. The last one about the bra went round all over the world.
So you'll write... I'm (your birth month) weeks and I'm craving (your birth date)!!! as your status. Example: Feb 14th: I'm 2 weeks and craving Chocolate mints!!

January-1week, Febuary-2 weeks, March-3 weeks, April-4 weeks, May-8 weeks, June-9 weeks, July-10 weeks, August-12 weeks, September-13 weeks, October-14 weeks, November-16 weeks, December-18 weeks.

Days of the month: 1-Skittles, 2-Starburst, 3-Kit-Kat, 4-M&M's, 5-Galaxy, 6-Crunchie, 7-Dairy Milk, 8-Lollipop, 9-Peanut Butter Cups, 10-Meat Balls, 11-Twizzlers, 12-Bubble Gum, 13-Hershey's Kisses, 14-Chocolate Mints, 15-Twix, 16-Resse's Fastbreak, 17-Fudge, 18-Cherry Jello, 19-Milkyway, 20-Pickels, 21-Creme Eggs, 22-Skittles, 23-Gummy Bears, 24-Gummy Worms, 25-Strawberry Pop Tarts, 26-Starburst, 27-Mini Eggs, 28-Kit-Kat Chunky, 29-Double Chocolate Chip Crunchy




I ignored it.

[artvandalay]

Yeah, I"ve seen two people do it. Someone included me in a mass facebook pm that explained the whole thing. It says it's for breast cancer awareness.

I think it's dumb. I didn't do it and don't see how in the heck it could possibly help to make someone aware of breast cancer. I think they should have left the "breast cancer" part out of it and just call it what it is: a silly game.

My guess is that some teenager started it... at least that's what it looks like to me.

[bcafe]

It's funny how some messages have left the "dumb guessing men" out. Yeah, I wasn't about to participate either.

[Globetrotter]

Depends who posts it. An older friend of mine posted it, and I found it funny b/c of the comments she got, but if my teen niece posted it? Um, no.

I don't do these so I ignored them.

[amldaley]

One of my friends posted this as her status and I did think she was pg. She messaged me and it is another one about breast cancer awareness. It has nothing to do about men being dumb.

What does it have to do with Breast Cancer Awareness????

[Fairy]

I do think it's completely stupid. It's like a virus hoax or a email chain letter. Pointless and raises anxiety. The bra thing was to raise awareness for breast cancer, and I thought that was clever. But this? What's the point? There's no explanation as to what it's supposed to be for. Just to confuse men? I don't need to confuse anyone, I think it's silly. My friend had this as 10 weeks and craving dairy milk. Which doesn't fit any real criteria, apparently. I could swear she was DONE, and so I posted 10 weeks WHAT?! Apparently, I missed something big! Then she replied that she'd email me soon and that she was on her phone. Then I felt terrible for reacting in her thread, aplogizied, told her mazel tov, and then deleted my comments. She then replied in PM that it was meant to be misleading and it's ok and she's not pregnant, and now she feels bad. The whole thing was a waste of time! Meh.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

http://cgwardphotography.blogspot.com/2011/08/regarding-facebook-breast-cancer.html

this sums up how I feel about it.

[JoyNChrist]

What does it have to do with Breast Cancer Awareness????

I wonder this too. I did say I don't find the "game" terrible or offensive, just silly, but I do find linking it to breast cancer awareness rather odd. What in the world does it have to do with educating people about breast cancer? I sort of got how the bra color thing was linked to breast cancer, but this? Not at all.

[Melaine]

http://cgwardphotography.blogspot.com/2011/08/regarding-facebook-breast-cancer.html

this sums up how I feel about it.

I might post this as MY status.

[bcafe]

What does it have to do with Breast Cancer Awareness????

I didn't come up with the reasoning behind it, that was in the message my friend sent me. She also left off the tidbit about men. I do think it is silly hence the reason I did not repost it.

[amldaley]

I might post this as MY status.

GREAT idea...for me, it is especially important to honor my dear friend struggling her fertility issues. I have linked to the blog in my status.

[Snow mom]

I haven't seen this one yet. It clearly is made by someone who has no clue about pregnancy (and I admit that I had no idea you were already 4 weeks pregnant by the time you found out, that it wasn't possible to be "1 week" pregnant when I was a teen.) I personally found bra color posts obnoxious too and didn't think they promoted breast cancer awareness. I hate everything that steers towards we should find a cure for breast cancer because men like boobs.

[daisymommy]

I think it's dumb. I didn't do it and don't see how in the heck it could possibly help to make someone aware of breast cancer.

:yeahthat: What a waste. Why not use that time to post facts in your status updates that actually pertain to breast cancer, screening, prevention, etc?

[flygirl555]

My friend summed it up beautifully too in her blog:

http://theinfertilebird.blogspot.com/2011/09/im-zero-weeks-and-craving-baby.html

Someone clearly didn't have their "thinking cap" on.

I am one of the extremely lucky women who, after many years of heartbreak and failure, finally found success in my journey (I'm due with twins in November), but so many other women continue month-after-month, year-after-year to endure the pain and heartbreak of infertility.

[artvandalay]

I also find the part about men:

" and let's have all the males guessing! .. It's time to confuse the men again (not that its really that hard to do :)) Everyone knows it makes their brains work wonders on what we're talkin about!! ""

really childish. Like "tee-hee! Men are so stu-pid!! They'll NEVER know what we girls are talking about!"

Funny thing, the two of my friends who did post this game on fb, not a single guy responded to the post. All the women right away posted things like "What?" or "???" or "Is there something you need to tell me?!"

here's a thought.. maybe the guys are smarter than the originator of the game give them credit for:wink2:

[Uno-Mom]

I think we brilliant, thoughtful people are taking this just a little too seriously... :) I think it's silly but I'm not spending any emotional energy about it.

As silly as it is, there is a human reality behind it: people love to be on the inside of a joke. They get warm fuzzies when they see other friends post it and feel like they're part of a sisterhood. Dumb, yeah. But I've done equally silly things in the past to feel part of a group. It makes people feel good to be in "the know." There are things like that on BBB, too. (What's the Brussel Sprout Society... and yelling VAGINA... what's that about? :)) Not exactly the same thing but it taps into the same feeling we all have sometimes.

I'm not down on any of you for being bugged by it, either. Feel free! I agree it's dumb.

***I am sorry things like this cause a pang when you're dealing with infertility. That sucks. But you know those silly people don't mean to hurt you! Never, ever at all. Any more than people mean to hurt when they unintentionally say tactless things that hurt parents whose kids have disabilities, or have survived a miscarriage, or are dealing with other really serious life things. :grouphug:! **

[american_mama]

Just to say there are all kinds of people in the world, I had a long Facebook chat with a friend last week that focussed a lot on her secondary infertility that has gone on for years and years. The very next day, she posted "I'm 18 weeks..." blah blah, so I was shocked. Turns out she just thought the game was fun, despite her infertility. Not everyone is the same, even people who are dealing with the same issue.

I did the posting, because I felt somewhat obligated to after the discussion with my friend, but I preceded it with "Not pregnant, but X knows what I mean when I say....." I still thought it was dumb.

And I do agree about the comment about people enjoying being on the inside joke.

[citymama]

It's silly and confusing and I don't see the point. There were literally emails and calls flying last night bc my cousin posted that and many of us started posting congratulatory messages - and I almost started packing a box of clothes to send! "I'm 12 weeks and craving skittles" - this from a mom of 2, age 39. Sorry, but posting that isn't cryptic, it's crazy to expect us to interpret it any other way. And then she was surprised by all our replies!

[Globetrotter]

It's silly and confusing and I don't see the point. There were literally emails and calls flying last night bc my cousin posted that and many of us started posting congratulatory messages - and I almost started packing a box of clothes to send! "I'm 12 weeks and craving skittles" - this from a mom of 2, age 39. Sorry, but posting that isn't cryptic, it's crazy to expect us to interpret it any other way. And then she was surprised by all our replies!


THIS is why I won't post it!! I already look pregnant so why wouldn't they believe it? The friend who posted it is 50 and done with babies, so the reactions were incredulous. Still, I emailed her personally to ask her what's going on (as did several others, and she sent us an email telling us about this).

[momm]

I agree - it's very irritating and stupid.
From the "I like it on the kitchen counter" to the bra color to "x inches :(" - very childish, not funny at all and frankly, NOT increasing awareness.

Just link to the breast cancer awareness society if you're that concerned.

[BayGirl2]

I think we brilliant, thoughtful people are taking this just a little too seriously... :) I think it's silly but I'm not spending any emotional energy about it.

As silly as it is, there is a human reality behind it: people love to be on the inside of a joke. They get warm fuzzies when they see other friends post it and feel like they're part of a sisterhood. Dumb, yeah. But I've done equally silly things in the past to feel part of a group. It makes people feel good to be in "the know." There are things like that on BBB, too. (What's the Brussel Sprout Society... and yelling VAGINA... what's that about? :)) Not exactly the same thing but it taps into the same feeling we all have sometimes.

I'm not down on any of you for being bugged by it, either. Feel free! I agree it's dumb.

***I am sorry things like this cause a pang when you're dealing with infertility. That sucks. But you know those silly people don't mean to hurt you! Never, ever at all. Any more than people mean to hurt when they unintentionally say tactless things that hurt parents whose kids have disabilities, or have survived a miscarriage, or are dealing with other really serious life things. :grouphug:! **

Thanks for posting that. This is essentially how I feel about it. Its just about having an inside joke, and we all like to be a part of something.

I understand how it can touch a nerve for someone struggling with infertility. When I miscarried I was very sensitive, there was nothing anyone could say to ease my pain, and seeing someone pregnant or going to a baby shower was very painful. But those were MY issues and my reaction was my, not others, responsibility. No one would begrudge others having a baby just because they can't themselves, so why is posting a few cryptic words so different?

I also don't equate saying "6 weeks and craving skittles" as "faking" a pregnancy. If two friends joked about that across a crowded room others may feel left out of an inside joke but wouldn't be jumping to conclusions. I do see some irony that after all the debates here about whether FB is an appropriate place to post pregnancy/baby news a lot of people believed their F&F would announce a pregnancy in such an obtuse way.

I guess FB posts like this are just not something that raises my emotional meter at all.