How to Connect with other Type 1 Diabetics on Social Media
Some people have a natural ability to make friends with anyone at anytime. However, most people have a hard time connecting with others and find themselves well-liked but alone. If we don’t know what to say to connect with someone in ‘real life’ – is it any easier to connect with another person (even if you have something in common) using social media? I’ve lived most of my life with many acquaintances yet few people I would actually call friends.
As an adult, making friends has become an even more challenging task for many reasons – time, family, responsibility etc. No matter what age we are, social media is a big part of our lives these days. Whether you’re a teenager just trying to fit in, a newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic, a stressed out college student or a sleep deprived parent, there’s likely someone else in the world feeling the same emotions you are. Wouldn’t it be almost therapeutic to talk to them? Thanks to social media, you can.
Looking Back
When I was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I was 7 years old. I lived on a farm in rural Southern Ontario and I didn’t know anyone else with diabetes. It was summertime and in a few short weeks I’d be heading back to school. I was scared and unsure what the kids in my class would think when they found out I had diabetes. I’ll never the knot in my stomach when I overheard my classmates talking about me at recess, “Laura has a disease.” They made it sound like I had the plague. I was devastated, ashamed, embarrassed and alone. However, I’m sure there was some newly diagnosed T1D somewhere at that same time, feeling exactly the same way.
Social Media Use Today
Today, most of us are using some form of social media; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, SnapChat – the list goes on. We use it to stay connected with friends and family, but now, more than ever, people are using social media to connect with others having similar interests, skills or conditions like diabetes. But how does one connect?
How Social Media Connects Type 1 Diabetics
A couple years ago, I started seeing the value of social media. Yes, I was “that girl” who said Facebook was for losers. Fast forward a few years, I’m on Facebook at least once a day. I was also “that girl” who thought Instagram was just some dumb photo editing app (and was horrified when folks actually started commenting on my photos – weren’t they supposed to be private?). I didn’t even know what hashtags (#) were. I’m still “that girl” who hasn’t totally figured out Twitter and my Pinterest Boards sure aren’t perfect, but somehow, I just keep connecting with more and more people who are just like me.
Today, I can’t imagine life without social media because of the sincere friendships I’ve developed and continue to develop.
A Few Social Media Tips
Here are a few tips for Facebook and Instagram (my favorites) that have helped me connect with other Type 1 Diabetics. The bus totally doesn’t stop with Facebook and Instagram though. Use my techniques on Pinterest, Snapchat and Twitter too! There are other awesome platforms like MeetUp that allow you to find out about events that you can go to alongside people with common interests, like diabetes.
Facebook offers a very cool feature called “Groups.” There are Facebook Groups for everything you can imagine. Groups have 3 different privacy settings: Public, Closed and Secret. Most topic specific groups are Closed, meaning only current members can see what members post in the group. Facebook explains the privacy settings of groups HERE.
In Facebook Groups, people with common interests come together to chat about a topic. You’ll find that there are certain people you gravitate toward. You’ll think, “Wow – she sounds so cool. I totally understand what she is struggling with.” You might comment on her posts a couple times and then you might even begin to message each other. As a diabetic athlete, one of my favorite groups is the “Type 1 Diabetes Athletes Group.”
In real life, a room full of T1Ds may be difficult to find unless you’re at a JDRF or American Diabetes event but on Facebook, there’s a room full of fellow T1Ds for you every single day (& night). You just need to find a group you have something in common with.
Another Facebook feature is “Pages.” For example, I am the founder of the Laura Gee facebook page (of course!) located at www.facebook.com/fitt1dfoodie. This page is public, meaning anyone can find it and see what’s on it… and, my posts will show up in your newsfeed if you “like” my page. I prioritize sharing health-minded deliciously diabetic recipes and fitness tips. The two go arm in arm!
You can search for any topic on Facebook and decide whether you’d like to join a group or like a page! It’s totally your choice. You will meet some very cool people along the way.
Instagram is the social media tool that first introduced me to hashtags. Here is a quick summary on how to connect with others on Instagram.
Android
- Go to your profile and then tap the ‘gear’ symbol in the top right.
- Tap Find Friends to choose to find friends from Facebook, from your phone’s contact list or from a list of suggested Instagrammers.
- Tap Follow next to people whose posts you want to see in your Feed.
iPhone/iPad or Windows Phone
- Go to your profile and then tap the search button (iPhone/iPad) in the top right of your screen.
- Tap Find People to Follow to choose to find friends from Facebook, from your phone’s contact list or from a list of suggested Instagrammers.
- Tap Follow next to people whose posts you want to see in your Feed.
You can also tap the magnifying glass at the bottom of the app to enter a search term (ex. diabetes) to see top posts, people (users who have “diabetes” in their username, tags, and places. By tags I mean hashtags… A hashtag (#) is placed before a word or phrase to identify messages posts about a specific topic (see image below). For example, if I posted a picture of a low carb meal on Instagram, I might include #lowcarb in its description.
Instagram is usually a very friendly community. I suggest liking photos, commenting on them, asking questions…. and this may lead to a few direct messages and a new friend for life. Even if you simply banter back and forth over your blood sugar pics, or simply watch what other diabetics are posting – so be it. You’ve got someone in your pocket you can relate with. How cool is that?
Summary
I know that I’m not the only type 1 diabetic who gets frustrated with things like trying to eat healthy and exercise (yet ends up needing a few snacks because of plummeting blood sugars). AND, I’m not the only T1D who forgets to meal bolus once in awhile. I’m also not the only person, trying so hard to be healthy, yet struggling along the way. I’ve met the most driven and wonderful people across my social media platforms. Get out there and have fun getting to know others living with type 1 diabetes. We’re a pretty cool club! It’s almost therapeutic when I see another T1D hashtag an IG photo with #duckfiabetes.
AND don’t forget to POST to your own social media sites. You will attract other people just like you!! Have fun.
Let’s Connect
I’d so love to connect with YOU. Please take a minute and introduce yourself to me as a comment below or on one of my social media platforms. I would love to hear from you!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tabletvboston
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lauracgee
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tabletvboston
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/lauracgee
Disclaimer: Social media is also full of crazy people. Be yourself BUT always be candid and use caution. Just sayin’
