DES Daughter Network

Spreading DES awareness on Social Media Networks is like blowing dandelion seeds

My DES Daughter Network blog is the little sister of my “Diethylstibestrol, Journal of a DES Daughter” website blog but with a focus on social media and social networking. This blog features and displays the social media networks of existing DES groups and individuals who have an online social media presence aimed at raising DES awareness.  This new blog provides me with an additional platform where I can express myself about DES issues and share my experience of using social media networks to support this cause with others interested in the health and personal problems associated with DES exposure.

Why a new blog?

Around the world, thousands, maybe millions of people are totally unaware that they were exposed to diethylstilbestrol (or DES), a toxic and carcinogenic drug. All of these people are not receiving proper medical treatment, or making truly informed decisions about their healthcare, as a result.

How do you reach out to these people?  One answer which immediately came to my mind when I started writing my “Journal of a DES Daughter” is through the use of social media and social networking.

Nowadays, social media and social networking tools are vital to building a strong online presence. The use of social media is stronger than ever. Facebook, Flickr, Google+, Twitter, YouTube are just some of the popular forms of social media used by millions around the world on a daily basis. Chances are, anyone you speak to today has at least one, if not more of these accounts.

To me, social media is simply the easiest, fastest and cheapest, yet effective way to raise DES awareness.

 The 4 “C’s of Social Media for the DES cause
Connect, Contribute, Collaborate, Change

• Connect: DES, like social media, is about people. People affected by this drug disaster often feel lonely and would benefit from connecting with other DES victims.
• Contribute: DES information needs to be instantly available to the public to generate an instant reaction and increase awareness.
• Collaborate: DES is a worldwide tragedy. DES information, studies and data need to be shared to better understand the full extent of the health issues associated with DES exposure. Social media increases potential for collaboration.
• Change: The DES story needs to be told not just through studies, statistics, numbers and figures but through real life experiences. The collective voice of DES victims on social media platforms can bring about change. Lessons must be learned so that history doesn’t repeat itself.

Despite the number of people affected by the DES tragedy and the hard work of DES support groups and activists, the DES cause is going unnoticed, or not noticed enough amongst the general public. The use of social media has the ability to change this. In today’s fast-moving world, we will make a difference and bring about change only if we connect, contribute, and collaborate.