Imagine that you were scrolling through a social media site and someone you worked with or one of your family members posted an image or video of you that was less than flattering. Everyone not only saw it but started commenting on it and sharing it. How would this make you feel?

 

Now consider a person who not only never sees something like this posted about them but doesn’t even understand that they are being ridiculed or exploited. This is what it is like for someone living with dementia. They don’t have the ability to approve or consent to have images, videos and other identifying posts to be shared in this social media-crazed world. These people need to be protected.

 

It could be you. Every 3 seconds a new case of dementia is diagnosed somewhere in the world, joining the already more than 55 million people living with the disease. Dementia, a general term for a group of similar diseases including Alzheimer’s, is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. While there is no cure, medications and management strategies may temporarily improve symptoms.

 

We live in a world now where anyone can take a photo or record a video of someone and put it out on social media. But I am capable of making that decision because I understand what is being posted and shared and I understand what social media is. A person suffering with dementia does not and they need to be protected. We need to remember that every person with dementia is still a person and deserves and is entitled to respect and dignity. 

 

This topic will be the subject of an upcoming “Ethics of Dementia and Social Media” forum featuring nine of the world’s leading dementia experts on the ethics of dementia and social media and will air on YouTube and other podcast providers worldwide on Feb. 14.