Armchair Warriors

So I posted my first blog under #LifeAccordingToCassieJordan, and also posted it on my Facebook page of the same name.  I boosted the post as it is a brand new space and I wanted to encourage people to follow me. 

This piece talked about the perception that society is over medicalising the ups and downs of life, as stated by the former prime minister, Tony Blair in a recent DailyMail article. 

Amused as I was to find myself quoting our former first minister, I thought it useful to add a snapshot of the article with a picture of him.  The blog was clearly entitled:

Have we medicalised the normal ups and downs of life?

I have to say I was not at all ready for the onslaught of negativity.  Most of the comments focused on the controversial situation around the Iraqi Arms position.  For the most part people commenting completely disregarded that it was a quote that opened up the conversation about mental health and how every day situations, such as grief, are medicalised as something that needs to be treated rather than a process we have to go through when we are bereaved. 

A few more, clearly misread the post and accused me of minimising serious mental health issues.  That is not what I was doing at all, and as someone who has experienced more than their fair share of poor mental health and years of antidepressant treatment, I think, by virtue of my lived experience, my voice is just as legitimate as anyone else's. 

So where does this propensity for attacking other people on social media come from?  It may be that the Meta algorithms did me a disservice by placing my post in front of people with strong views about Tony Blair, rather than who were interested in mental wellbeing, which was my intended audience. 

Needless to say, I paused the advert immediately.  I mean, who would pay Meta to be abused?  

So now I am in a quandary, do I avoid anything remotely controversial to preserve the integrity and positive vibe of my brand?  Or do I simply challenge such people.  It has certainly put me off boosting individual posts.  I have to say in the many years that I have ran pages, and adverts on Facebook, I have not come across this before.  I've had a few people laugh at my posts and make unkind comments, but they were simply that - unkind, not attacking.  For those, I simply engaged with them in a positive way and held compassion for whatever was behind the slight. 

So, I either try to grow my audience in a different way, or I grow a thicker skin.  I think it would be wrong to steer away from controversy.  If people want to misread or misrepresent what I have written, then that is on them.  I am loath to delete comments, but it is the only way I can protect the welcoming space I am trying to create. 

If you have any experience of this, or tips to share - I would love to here from you.  You can comment here, or drop me an email at info@lifeaccordingtocassiejordan.com