AWARENESS DAYS - AM I BOTHERED?

I saw a list recently of all the awareness days scheduled for October this year.  October seems to be quite a busy month and yet I’m sure if you were to look at other months they too would probably be listing various charities, organisations etc that are claiming a particular date to highlight their cause.

Setting aside certain dates for various causes or events is not a new phenomenon but certainly with the increase of social media sites and more people using the Internet the awareness day is becoming ever more popular.  There is a growing trend now for more obscure sounding topics to be given the ‘awareness day’ treatment for example amongst the more well known topics in October there is Global Handwashing Day, King Harold Day and one I shall definitely be looking into – Chocolate Week!

The website that supplied me with this information positively encourages people to start up their own Awareness Day saying they are easy and fun to do.

Bearing all of this in mind then are we in danger of making such days a bit of a joke?  
Are we detracting from the original more serious purpose of educating people about topics and issues of importance?  Issues they would probably not have had much knowledge about before unless it had affected their lives in some way.  

This also raises another question.  How many people actually open up the links they get on their newsfeeds and read the information?  Do people just groan at yet another one and press the share button because that seems to be the right thing to do?

Unless the link is actually opened up and read then the message is lost, no-one has been made aware of whatever the organisation/group wanted to share, all that has been shared is a web address.  It’s a bit like forwarding an empty envelope.

You would be forgiven then, if you have got this far, for thinking that I may be a bit cynical about Awareness Days and the like.  
You would be wrong.  

I believe in sharing knowledge.  It is said that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing and in some cases that is true, but when it comes to making people aware of something that they had no or little knowledge of beforehand then it can do a lot of good.  Attitudes can be changed, funding can be asked for and important research carried out.  

Not every topic is going to be serious or life changing to someone but who knows? unless we read the message we will never know.

If even just a few people pay more attention to their hand washing routine after reading the article under the heading Global Handwashing Day, then an outbreak of dysentery or diarrhoea may be avoided and yes a life may even be saved and by learning more about the subject and sharing with others on World Mental Health Day we could help change attitudes towards this little spoken about subject for the better.  

The reason for creating this SWAN Songs blog was to make more people aware.  To make them aware of the difficulties that can arise when there is a child with additional needs in the family.  To make them aware that not every child is given a diagnosis.  So yes, when it comes to raising awareness, whether it be via a blog, or a designated day, then I am most definitely bothered..