Facebook "games"

I'm not angry as such, but does anyone not realise that this (received through a pm from a fb friend)....

Hi beautiful ladies so here it is the time of year again when we try to raise awareness of breast cancer through a game. Its very easy and i would like all of you to participate. Last year we had to write the colour of our bra's on our status. Men wondered for days what was going on with random colours on status's. This year we make reference to our love life status as a flavour. Do not answer to this message just post corresponding word on your status and send this message privately to all the girls on your friends list. Blueberry is single, pineapple is its complicated, raspberry is I dont want to commit, apple is engaged, cherry is in a relationship, banana is married, avacado is I'm the better half, strawberry is can't find mr right, lemon is I want to be single and raisin is I want to get married to my partner. Last time the bra game was mentioned on t.v let's see if we can get there with this one. Please re-bc this to all your girly friends then update your status with your answer ONLY! DONT TELL ANY GUYS! Done! Check my status

.....does nothing constructive to raise awareness of breast cancer, or any kind of disease or condition! I'm more than happy to take part in fundraising for this sort of cause, make a donation, even re-post a proper/useful article that might help save lives - but I fail to see what a "game" like this is going to do to raise awareness. Recently a friend had posted something on her facebook page saying that she'd got an audition for Masterchef, I wasn't aware that cooking was her bag, however, I commented "wow, well done" or something like that, just to receive a private message saying how I'd "fallen into a trap" and that I had to change my status to one of the following eg, I've got the runs again, used my boobs to get me out of a parking ticket, won £900 on a scratchcard - she added "it's a bit of fun and it's for breast cancer awareness". I ignored it just to keep the peace really, but really wanted to say "in what way does this raise awareness?" and how is the comment regarding boobs and parking ticket anyway appropriate?

So many individuals and families are painfully aware of cancer in all it's hideous forms, and making a pointless "game" out of it, to me seems insensitive and cruel, however good the intentions are. This is why I never take part in these things, don't put a flag over my picture when a world atrocity has taken place etc. I'm all for those who really try and raise money and awareness for any good cause - but just paying lip service to a cause isn't a lot of use to anyone! Grrr rant over!

I agree with you - a pointless, trivial exercise. Surely a better way of raising awareness and supporting breast cancer would be to do something constructive, not something that many could find offensive? Perhaps write a message on your timeline about breast cancer, and link one or several of the excellent charities which work on research or support for those with this awful disease? Or organise a charity fundraiser and raise awareness via a facebook profile, including asking for sponsorship/donations. Breast cancer, and other forms of this vile disease don't just need awareness and kind thoughts, they need practical support: money, and time are both good.

This kind of nonsense seems to me a modern-day form of the infamous chain letters that used to go around. Even as a kid, my friends could happily forward it to me, knowing I would be the dastardly one to break the chain.

WTF!!!!!! People should give and of course raise awareness. The whole frenzy of the PINK thing every company pushing selling products because it has the Pink on it is obscene! Yes they give a per centage, usually 10p - £1, some do give far more. But because people rush to buy thinking they are doing good how much profit are they making from it all? A hell of a lot. I remember in the early days buying a Bobbi Brown lip gloss it said 10% of each sale went to charity. So a whole 14p, then after VAT no doubt Estee Lauder who own the brand made over £5 each one.

Recently a lovely person who started out as a friend of a friend, who has gone on to become a really good friend of mine, has been diagnosed and is undergoing treatment, the LAST thing I feel like doing to raise is playing a frivolous game..... (That's not to mention the close relatives who died from it and devastated our lives...)

I wish I were brave enough though to put up a statement on FB about these so called games, but as much I as don't wish to take part in them for the reasons I stated above, I wouldn't want to hurt the feelings of those who have sent me the messages, as the one thing I do know, is that they mean well, and to be fair I am a bit of a coward, and prefer not to "rock the boat". It never ceases to amaze me though how some of the people I know (who are intelligent and level headed people) truly believe that taking part in this kind of thing will do anything at all to help the sufferers and families affected by this devastating disease, but not only that, that these "games" could be seen as trivialising something as serious as this! Yes, we all know that events such as Race for Life involves dressing up in pink, donning bunny ears etc and having fun - but the difference here is huge. People are actually getting off their backsides and doing something to raise money for research and rehabilitation, they're running in memory of friends, family and colleagues, or for those who are still living with the disease.....Not just changing their FB status to "Isn't cancer awful" - which would possibly raise more awareness than writing the name of a colour or a fruit.....or telling the world that they've just wiped their backside with their socks!

Shame there isn't a face book status - p***ed off with meaningless "games :mysmilie_59: