If you have a Facebook account, then you’ve probably seen your fair share of fake pregnancy announcements. Maybe it’s because they’re often copied and pasted from somewhere else, but they’re always the same. A blurry ultrasound photo accompanied by a lengthy caption containing far too many exclamation points and feigned surprise at the new arrival to come. The punchline at the end mocking the reader for being so gullible to have fallen for their prank. There is no baby, it’s all just a big joke. Cue the laughter–or not.
Not everyone is laughing at these fake pregnancy announcements.
There are a few reasons for this. As far as jokes go, it’s been done. It’s not new, it’s not clever, and frankly, many people don’t find them funny. This is not because they lack a sense of humor or because they don’t get the joke. It’s because, for many families, pregnancy is not a joke. It’s not easy or carefree-it’s challenging and anxiety-ridden.
1 in 8 women are dealing with infertility and they can only hope to see the very thing being joked about.
1 in 4 women will get to see a positive pregnancy test only to have it result in the loss of their baby.
That false announcement, shared with very little thought can cause a great deal of heartbreak for the families who read it. There are people who can only dream of sharing the news of a pregnancy. So to see it shared as fodder for a quick laugh–that really hurts.
It’s time to stop posting fake pregnancy announcements on Facebook.
It’s a tired gimmick that is adding to the emotional exhaustion of those who know the struggles of pregnancy and infant loss. There will always be emotional triggers for the loss mom or dad who choose to use social media–erasing them all is not an option. But erasing these types of prank posts from the news feed is completely doable. All it takes is a little thought before posting and that is a type of support that anyone is capable of.
Photo credit: Pixabay
