Namastè!
I'm still up, y'all. I legit just closed out my last post with a drowsiness and a hopeful heart to catch the remaining 28 of those ever-elusive 40 winks.
Ain't happening just yet.
Piggybacking off what I was talking about earlier (read here)...
It was a harrowing experience when I dreamed my baby was missing. I can't really imagine the terror that goes through a parent's mind when their baby is actually missing.
Social media is an amazing tool. We can share info with hundreds or even thousands of people with just a few clicks. When a child is missing, the phone network has nothing on the spread power of social media--when it is used correctly of course. That power lies in numbers. There are billions of people on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram alone. That staggering number increases exponentially when you count Twitter, and Reddit. Factor in the special interest sites like Tumblr and Pinterest and you have a veritable explosion of active users who are excellent at relaying and reposting everything they come across.
Make that power, your power.
When a child is missing, seconds count. You need their info out there, and it needs to be spread far and wide. Every set of eyes needs to be on alert.
However...it also needs to be correct.
Parents panic when their children go missing, and that is 100% understandable. Expected, even! In the rush to get those babies' faces and descriptions out to whoever could possibly help bring them home, sometimes things aren't accounted for in the releases.
Details are crucial. I can only imagine the terror and actual physical pain that grips a parent when their child can't be located. Howecer, information is key. When creating a post for social media, we need to be thorough.
A missing child (or person, period) post needs to include the following:
☆ SHARES, NOT SCREENSHOTS.
If Facebook is your chosen medium of informing, please create a public post. Why? Even if the rest of your page is private, that public post can be shared. If people have to screenshot your missing person post, they can only share the screenshot--not any updates you provide.
☆ Up-to-date Photo (seriously, make it as current as possible)
If your child is ten, have a photo of them at age ten.
☆ Name
Spelling and pronunciation.
☆ Nickname
If you call the child by a nickname and they would be frightened or would not respond to their given name, make this clear. (Especially in cases of children with a deficit.)
☆ Last Seen (time and date)
Time can be approximate of course, but you need to have at least a time frame.
☆ Area
Where was the child? "At Walmart" is too vague, in my humble opinion. What side of the store were they on?
☆ Seen with?
Was the child alone, with friends, with family? (Especially of note for older kids, the tweens and teens set.)
☆ Contact information for involved law ebforcement agencies, as well as parents and guardians.
Should someone have information to relay, they need a direct contact. Law enforcement is best, but parent or guardian info (or trusted representative chosen by the parents or guardians) is a definite plus.
☆ Update status of missing person as needed...
If your missing child (or person) is found, please update your post. This is the main reason to make a public post and encourage sharing of that versus a screenshot. A screenshot will not include any updates made after initial posting.
...for those of us on the sharing side...
Effectively Spread Posts
When sharing these posts, we must check to ensure the preceding information is included. Simply sharing a photo with no info spreads more confusion than anything.
Also, please confirm that the missing person you share is indeed still considered missing. In my "travels" on Facebook in particular, I often come across outdated or closed cases. Many heartbreaking times, I will notice a friend has shared a missing person post that has ended with a body and not a happy conclusion. In our zeal to help, we must be attentive to detail--and request detail if it is not already included.
Can you imagine someone approaching your child at the Walmart or calling the police because they have seen a "missing" person?! How scary would that be for the child?
Keep it updated. At conclusion, which I hope and design with every fiber of my being to be a happy reunion, make note of that in your original posts. Leave the update for a day or two, or longer if it was particularly harrowing or a widespread effort.
...
Coming to the present moment.
I'm still drowsy. I truly dislike feeling this tired, yet unable to sleep. Mainly because it leads to me taking sleep later only to wake up more tired than I started, or sleeping so much that I need more sleep to rest from the excessive sleep I just slept.
I wish I had a USB to just recharge myself periodically. I'm like 208% tired.
Namastè!
-- Tayè K. ♡
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