The Blue Tick

It's been a couple of months since I took "the plunge" to verify my Twitter account. Of course, that's now a verified X account following the rebranding at Musk Inc. It has raised a few questions and conversations, primarily "why?!" especially as the recent changes at this platform have caused many to move to other areas of the Internet for their socials. I thought that I'd clear things up with a blog post, instead of writing a really long tweet... xeet? Whatever.

In today's digital age, social media platforms have become powerful tools for advocacy and awareness campaigns. Twitter, with its extensive reach and real-time engagement, stands out as a platform that can significantly amplify the voice of advocates. For individuals advocating for diabetes awareness, being verified on Twitter holds immense importance. Twitter verification is crucial for diabetes advocates, especially those (like me) who are not professional advocates. Below, I'll look at how it enhances credibility, increases visibility, and facilitates meaningful connections within the diabetes community.

• Credibility Amplification: Whether we like it or not, for many, verification on Twitter symbolises authenticity and credibility. For diabetes advocates, whose primary goal is to provide accurate information and create awareness, being verified adds an extra layer of trust for their followers. Verified accounts are perceived as authoritative sources of information, allowing advocates to spread accurate details about diabetes management, treatment options, and lifestyle changes with more impact.

• Enhanced Visibility: Verified accounts are more likely to appear at the top of search results and in relevant conversations. For diabetes advocates, this visibility boost is essential in ensuring their messages reach a broader audience. With the ever-increasing volume of content on social media, standing out from the noise is crucial. Verification ensures that the important messages of diabetes advocates are not lost in the crowd, enabling them to effectively reach people who need accurate information about the condition.

• Access to Features: Twitter verification comes with access to advanced features, such as analytics and insights into tweet performance. This data can be incredibly valuable for diabetes advocates, as it helps them understand what type of content resonates most with their audience. This information can be used to tailor their advocacy efforts, refine their messaging, and optimise their engagement strategies.

• Collaboration Opportunities: Verified accounts are more likely to be approached for collaborations, partnerships, and joint initiatives. For diabetes advocates, this means increased opportunities to collaborate with medical professionals, researchers, organisations, and other "influencers" in the healthcare space. Collaborations can lead to more comprehensive and impactful advocacy campaigns, furthering the cause of diabetes awareness.

• Building a Stronger Community: Verification status fosters a sense of community among advocates, creating a network of credible voices in the diabetes space. Verified advocates can connect more easily with each other, sharing insights, experiences, and strategies. This sense of camaraderie strengthens the overall impact of their advocacy efforts and encourages the exchange of knowledge within the diabetes community.

• Countering Misinformation: This is one of the major pulls for me to be verified. Diabetes advocates often find themselves combating misinformation and myths about the condition. A verified status on Twitter empowers advocates to debunk false information with authority and credibility. As misinformation spreads easily on social media, having verified advocates actively participating in these discussions is essential for steering the conversation in the right direction.

In a world where social media has become an integral part of advocacy, Twitter verification holds undeniable significance for diabetes advocates. The benefits range from amplifying credibility and visibility to enabling collaboration and providing access to valuable insights. By becoming verified, diabetes advocates can leverage their status to create a more informed, connected, and empowered diabetes community. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, being verified on Twitter is not just a badge of honour; it's a tool that can drive meaningful change and make a lasting impact on diabetes awareness.

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Representation

 Diabetes in the public eye has to be a great thing, right? A diverse representation of all types of people can only reduce division, hate and normalise disabilities, including Diabetes.

Coronation Street got the Type 1 ball rolling a few weeks ago and last week Pixar joined the Diabetes party with a character in their Turning Red movie, seemingly wearing Diabetes devices. Both great things for Diabetics, particularly the Coronation St character as it appears they'll be focusing on the condition more than the Pixar movie's passing nod towards it. I hope the Coronation St character will be allowed to develop in the coming years and the difficulties of living with T1D are brought to the public attention, at least the public who still watch that particular soap opera.

Beyond the recent TV and movie rep', I've been thinking about others who have proudly acknowledged that they have Diabetes. In the mid and late 1980s, as a young boy, my only "Celebrity Diabetic" was Gary Mabbutt. Gary played for Spurs and was capped by England and he is still well known in Diabetic circles today, particularly football fans. That was it, for me. I'm sure there were others but Diabetes was a much less visible condition beyond the Diabetes clinic at the hospital.

Technology has made Diabetes a visible, talked about thing. It's forced the hand of Diabetics to become that bit more public about their condition. A pump, CGM or even a small Libre disc are physical signs which are often hard to hide compared to the sneaky finger pricks and injections, done covertly or behind closed bathroom doors. Perhaps we have more to thank technology for than simply improving the management of our condition? It's out there! WE are out there!

Not everybody uses technology, of course (despite what you might see on social media). Perhaps some will still hide it because years of conditioning can take a long time to overcome. So, representation is important in other ways. Representation by the masses (our peers) is increasing and I believe that is the most important way to have Diabetes seen by the general public, a general public which still struggles to understand types and which holds ideas of Diabetes, that are ignorant and harmful, firmly in their minds.

How you represent is individual to you, your life and your comfort zone. I speak and write about it in various places and I choose to do so using what I consider to be an effective method. Your methods might be different, of course. What is important to you in regards to Diabetes is almost certain to be different to me and others, too. A brief look through Twitter will reveal a variety of subjects, pushed as hugely important and they may indeed be that to a minority which could include you, or other aspects of Diabetes might be higher on your agenda of importance. What is important for us all is to talk about Diabetes, type if you wish, specific things relating to it if you wish, openly.

Social media is an easy place to air views and share your experiences. It's an easy place to represent D. If that's your comfort zone then embrace it and go to town! It can have a surprising, positive, effect. I'm astounded at the positive comments which have been sent my way in the last couple of years since growing a social media presence. All I do is share my experiences and views while engaging with my peers. 

We don't always agree, either! and that's an important part of life, too. To accept that others have their views and opinions on their own condition and health and subjects relating to it. It's important to not turn those times into arguments, to not bully or name-call or reduce yourself. The people who do that are not helping to represent. Using aggressive, "industrial" language does not help to represent - Do you want your children to read frequent use of the F word? Your choice, of course! I'm far from a prude and I have certainly used foul language and a harsh "tone" before. Within Diabetes, I try to keep it family friendly. That's not because I'm focused on engaging with families. It's because it's much harder to alienate or offend anybody of any age when the language is PG and the tone is soft.

I encourage everybody living with Diabetes to share their views. Talking about it is great representation for your peers and yourself. It's normal to have a health condition or a disability. Don't hide.

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