How Connected Are You?

How Connected Are You?

According to a recent survey, the average U.S. adult spends 3.8 hours a day online. In addition to emailing, playing games and scanning news headlines, more people than ever are turning to social networks – 79 million in 2008.

So how are people with diabetes connecting online? Are they going online to find information or support? Most importantly, are they going online to make a difference?

@AmDiabetesAssn
According to Nielsen Online, nearly 14 million twits are tweeting. A twit is someone who uses Twitter, the popular micro-blogging site that has provided an outlet for people with diabetes to keep up to date on the latest news and research.

Koko Hunt used Twitter to find online support after she was diagnosed with diabetes.

"I was pretty devastated about my diagnosis and was scared about the potential complications," commented KoKo. "Personally, I didn't know anyone close who had diabetes so I was not very informed.

"The Twitter support group was not only encouraging but also informative in learning the facts and how to better manage my condition."

In the two months since Koko was diagnosed, she is "now 25 lbs lighter, off the medication, with cholesterol levels down to near normal range, liver enzyme levels normalized, and now exercising almost everyday, making much healthier choices for food and feeling great. I love my new lifestyle."

Don’t Shoot the Messenger
When her 8-year-old daughter was diagnosed with diabetes, Pam King Hackworth turned to the American Diabetes Association Message Boards.

"Wow, was I ever scared," she recalled. "I had so many questions. I would go to the message board and parents that had already been through the first stages were right there to answer anything I had questions about. They gave me their advice about what did and didn't work for them. I would have been so lost without them."

Message boards, such as the American Diabetes Association’s, provide an online community for sharing information or just venting. In June alone, the Association’s message boards had more than 49,000 registered users and 115,000 guest users.

What’s on Your Mind?
Phil Cantor has more than 400 friends – at least according to Facebook. So when he organized a golf outing to support the American Diabetes Association this spring, he invited all 400 of them to get involved.

"It’s nice to know that your friends are enjoying their first cup of coffee in the morning, or sitting in traffic," Phil said, referring to his friends’ status messages. "But I kept thinking, we’ve got to be able to put this (Facebook) to better use."

And that he did – to the tune of $175,000 – for the American Diabetes Association.

Phil’s Facebook friends from around the country participated in the golf outing, some without ever leaving their home. Long-lost buddies who didn’t golf, or lived too far away, purchased raffle tickets and learned more about diabetes.

Phil received more than just money for the cause. He received plenty of warm wishes and heartfelt messages, which inspired him to work harder on the event.

For Phil, fighting diabetes is a personal crusade. His sister Carol was diagnosed with diabetes at age 21 and suffered from a diabetes-related stroke at age 41. His mother-in-law, his best friend, and his 5-year-old great nephew also have the disease.

"We’ve raised more than $1 million in the 11 years we have been doing this event, and Facebook made it so much easier to spread the word," Phil said. "Even if you get one friend to buy a raffle ticket, that’s $100 more than you had the day before."

Get Involved
There are dozens of social networking sites out there, and it’s hard to navigate all the different options. Here are a couple of places you can start with where you will be sure to find a friendly face from the American Diabetes Association.

• Become a fan on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Youth with diabetes can explore, discover, and connect on Planet D
• Add to the photo pool on Flickr

 

first posted July 9, 2009