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ashxcass09-blog · 7 years ago

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Loved your post Kelli! This looks like an amazing organization, and something we could possibly look into and participate in in the years to come. Thank you sharing this and bringing awareness for something for all of our amazing veterans!

@necsocialmedia

WH4V

War Horses For Veterans on a non-profit organization dedicated to providing equine therapy to military veterans of any branch, age or war affiliation. The farm is located in Stilwell, Kansas and was founded by Patrick Benson who has coined the motto, “horses are the bridge, veterans are their own best therapy.” Currently they offer a three day program in which veterans are forwarded the opportunity to interact with the horses and with each other in a safe, judgment-free environment and to decompress and share stories with one another.

Social media is important to this organization because it allows them to get the word out about their organization without having to pay money for advertising. In a non-profit organization that is run on donations, the ability to advertise without cost is priceless and allows more money to be put into helping our veterans. I would not necessarily say that there is a set “norm” or “standard” for social media use in the equine or veteran industries but I do believe that among the younger generations, such as OEF and OIF generation veterans like myself, social media usage is much more prevalent than it is to veterans of past wars such as the Gulf War or Vietnam. For that reason, I feel that the use of social media does not as successfully aid in reaching veterans of pre-Iraq wars and will lessen the amount of older veterans who apply to the program.

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WH4V is very well-rounded when it comes to social media accounts but not so much in the usage of them all. Currently they have a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vimeo and a YouTube channel. They primarily seem to use their Facebook and Instagram accounts more than anything else. Their Fcebook has about 5,600 followers and their IG has about 6,300. Their latest Twitter post was just over a month ago, their last LinkedIn activity was eight months ago and the last video on Vimeo is from quite some time ago. These accounts have significantly less followers with just over 1,000 on Twitter, 62 on LinkedIn and 0 on Vimeo. Of course, in addition to social media, they also have an official website.

https://warhorsesforveterans.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WarHorsesForVeterans

https://www.instagram.com/wh4vets/

https://twitter.com/WH4Vets

https://www.linkedin.com/company/war-horses-for-veterans

https://vimeo.com/warhorsesforveterans

It seems that their most commonly used method of appealing to people is through their use of imagery. They post many very picturesque photos of the farm and animals and pictures of veterans interacting with one another within that setting. Often the photos are accompanied by some kind of quote such as the most recent Facebook photo of a horse in a round pen, set to black and white tone that reads “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”

This group has quite a few connections with people who may generate exposure and who contribute to their cause. Among them are: UFC fighter Cat Zingano, NBC host Megyn Kelly, Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren and professional bull rider Guilherme Marchi. Through these connestions, they have been featured on Today and OAN in interviews with Megan Kelly and Tomi Lahren.

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Through their social media outlets and website, their objectives are clearly defined. The content on the sites is effective and engaging and some of the stories from veterans who have attended WH4V will leave you all warm and fuzzy inside. The website contains a small shop with hats and shirts that can be bought to support the cause as well as a donation tab and I clicked through the process and found that it was very simple to complete a transaction, which, through study, is shown to lead to more sales.

The Facebook page currently holds a five star rating based on 58 reviews and here are some of the things people had to say about the organization:

Jeremy Harrell - I am not sure I can accurately put into words what this organization has done in my life. I went out there with a lot of skeletons in my closet and was under the impression that I was this broken man who has nothing left to offer this world. I had very minimal experience with horses and was very apprehensive and nervous as a lot of Veterans are. I had been to a lot of other programs for Vets and this one was gonna be the last one. It was my last ditch effort to find purpose and seek healing. So I went. From the moment I stepped out of the airport the staff was very friendly and welcoming. I could immediately begin feeling the apprehension dissipating. The Hilton Hotel that they put you in is a beautiful hotel and the rooms are second to none. You are really able to tell how much they value the veterans. Arriving at the farm is breath taking. It’s a beautiful farm in very serene and peaceful location right outside of KC. From the moment I met Patrick, Corey, Pat, Andy, and the rest of the staff, I felt at home. They really make you feel like part of the family from day one. Last but not least, you meet the horses. I was very timid at first, but quickly began to loosen up with the guidance and teaching of Patrick Benson. I’ve yet to meet someone as knowledgeable of Horsemanship as he is. I assure I am not getting paid to say that. Its the honest truth. The horses are very good horses for this program. They are laid back and used to people. Not only do you get to learn the basics of horsemanship, you can actually ride which I haven’t found at any other program. Horses have this intuitive and supernatural ability to mirror what you put out in terms of emotions. Being prey animals, they force you to be authentic and dig deep inside in order to be able to work with them. Grooming and riding have a unique ability to calm you and force you to be present in the moment which vets struggle with. This experience inspired to come back to Kentucky and form a Vet Org of my own. I left feeling confident, wanting to serve again, and with a sense of purpose I had longed for since getting out of the Army. I truly urge anyone who may be on the fence of going, to just go. I can assure you that you won’t forget it. Horses and the camaraderie of the staff at Warhorses gave me a new lease on life and there’s no looking back.

Jason Larson - This was absolutely spectacular! Very relaxed atmosphere with the perfect amount of structure. They made sure we were comfortable with what we were doing before moving on to others aspects of working with the horses. And the fact that I was able to see old buddies was a plus to say the least. Thank you everyone at warhorses for veterans for an absolute wonderful time! I definitely recommend it to all veterans.

Rick Lopez - Thank you all for an amazing weekend. You are an amazing group of people. If you have not been through a weekend yet, please do it. Take care all.

Andy McCann - Indescribably… all Veterans need to make the time. Beautiful place, feels like a home away from home. First class organization and amazing staff! Thanks again for changing my life.

Tarun Raj - An amazing experience of healing and fun with an incredible group of people behind it. It is an all expenses paid trip for qualifying veterans that will change your life!

You get the point. Veterans attend the farm, it’s like a mini, all inclusive vacation with other veterans and they love it. I looked through probably 100 different posts and browsed the comments on every social media platform the organization is part of and could not find anything negative. I’m sure this is in part because anything negative could easily be deleted by an administrator, but regardless, I’m not sure what anyone could really say badly about people who try to give veterans a free and therapeutic vacation.

https://www.today.com/news/war-horses-veterans-uses-equine-therapy-help-vets-find-footing-t118616

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The first step to take in collecting more funding for the organization would be to raise awareness and recruit more followers. Many ways that this could be done would include putting in a small amount of money for some kind of giveaway in which current followers could tag others who would then have to like, follow and share to be entered to win. This seems to be a very effective strategy for a lot of online businesses and organizations. Secondly, implementing a regular weekly or bi-weekly video segment, like shown above, highlighting a veteran who attends the farm would give a little more of a personal appeal. Having a veteran tell their story and then show them interacting with the horses and other veterans and then wrapping up with how the visit benefited them would be a great way to show people what the organization is about and let them see the results and benefits of their donations and contributions first hand. The in-person, social interactions such as War Horses Pint Night is also a great way to bring people together for a cause, raise money and promote not only the organization but the organization’s social media accounts as well.

I would also suggest the organization try to find ways to gear up with other businesses or organizations with similar causes that may already generate more of an income such as Wounded Warriors or The American Quarter Horse Association. Teaming up with other smaller businesses like Reins For Rescues or Horses Helping Heroes could be very beneficial to everyone involved as well. There’s power in numbers, or so they say. Instead of relying on a giveaway from their site alone, joining forces with others to collaborate a larger giveaway with simple rules could cause their following to multiply greatly. Though the followers don’t always stick around after the contest is over, it at least generates exposure and it is safe to say that some of the followers will indeed stay for the long haul. Also, though it does cost money to design and print flyers or other kinds of ads, having paper forms of advertisement that could be placed in VA hospitals or therapist’s offices is a great way to get the word out the older vets who may not use or navigate social media.

Following these few simple suggestions would undoubtedly help this amazing organization bring in more funds so that they may continue to assist our veterans and give them this small gift as a thank you for their great and selfless service to our country.

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND GOD BLESS AMERICA! To all who have served, are serving and to those who will serve in the future, I am eternally grateful. Semper Fi.

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ashxcass09-blog · 7 years ago

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The American Cancer Society was founded on May 23, 1915 by fifteen business men and physicians. It was actually founded under the name American Society for the Control of Cancer, but the name was changed in 1944. The goal of the American Cancer Society is to eliminate cancer. They are constantly doing new and exciting things, and by that, I mean they are constantly doing new research for this disease. In a YouTube video, the doctor explains how they do not just use one type of cancer and research. They use their research for multiple types. For example, something from breast cancer research can be used and carried over to use and help aid in research for prostate cancer. “When I look at what’s going on in cancer research, we are definitely exploding,” said Dr Otis Brawley, the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. They have a vast number of promising projects on the horizon. Their knowledge and research on these projects is growing, significantly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHAgzpYIzH8

“The mission of the American Cancer Society is to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. As we all know, when cancer strikes, it hits from all sides. That’s why we’re committed to attacking cancer from every angle. With more than 100 years of experience and leadership, we are a global force, fighting all cancers on all fronts, across the US and around the globe,” (https://www.cancer.org/about-us/who-we-are/fact-sheet.html). The American Cancer Society encourages healthy lifestyles not just for those affected by cancer, but for everyone. By avoiding tobacco, eating healthy, and being active, one could reduce their risk of cancer by up to fifty percent! Obviously, nothing can prevent something from happening, but it's nice to know the steps to take to help reduce your risk.

The American Cancer Society has a number of social media platforms. They are pretty active on all of them. They are less active on Instagram however, and more active on Facebook and Twitter. When they do post on Instagram, they are posting pictures and quotes from an actual patient who has gone through treatment in one of their facilities. Some are pictures of patients actually receiving their treatment. Some are of patients who had it, beat it, and are now living happy and full lives. When it comes to Facebook and Twitter, they are definitely more present on them. On Instagram, they post about once a week to once every two weeks. On Facebook, they are posting about once a week or so. Finally, on Twitter they are tweeting or being tagged in a tweet almost daily.

On Facebook they post about being active and encourage you to get moving. They also promote healthy eating and post healthy recipes with lots of fruits and veggies occasionally. It tells that while your age increases, your risk for cancer increases along with it. On twitter, it’s basically the same as Facebook, encouraging you to get moving, promoting healthy eating, and showing healthy recipes. On Twitter, they are tagged in tweets. You can see fundraisers that were done, donations that were made, and how the American Cancer Society helps their patients. All in all, the American Cancer Society seems to be most active on Twitter.

https://www.instagram.com/americancancersociety/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/AmericanCancer?lang=en

https://www.facebook.com/AmericanCancerSociety/

The social object theory seems fitting for defining the social media marketing strategy behind the American Cancer Society. “Social object theory suggests that social networks will be more effective if there is a way to activate relationships among people and objects. In this perspective, an object is something of common interest and its primary function is to mediate the interactions between people,” (Tuten, T., & Solomon, M. (2018). Social media marketing. London: Sage). I know cancer can be almost a taboo subject, I get it. But, by using this theory, they really are bringing people together over something that affected them in a negative way.

As far as social commerce strategies go, they definitely take part in the alternative evaluation stage. In this strategy, shoppers, or patients in our case, check out reviews and evaluate opinions for products and retailers. The product in this situation would be cancer treatment and the retailer being the cancer center they are looking into being treated at.

“We provide patients and caregivers with resources that can help improve – and even save – lives. From free rides to chemo, places to stay when treatment is far from home, and our live 24/7 helpline, we’re here for everyone with cancer questions and concerns, when and where they need us. By taking what we’ve learned through research and translating it into action, we’ve contributed to a 26% decrease in the overall US cancer death rate since 1991. That means that we helped avoid nearly 2.4 million cancer deaths during that time.

Resources allocated to program services (totaling 75% of American Cancer Society resources) include:

$153 million invested in cancer research (support to fund and conduct research into better ways to prevent, detect, and treat cancer, how to improve the quality of life for people living with cancer, and to advocate for laws and policies that help further cancer research)

$310 million invested in patient support (programs to assist cancer patients and their families, easing the burden of cancer)

$114 million invested in prevention information and education (programs that provide the public and health professionals with information and education to prevent cancer occurrence or to reduce the risk of developing cancer)

$88 million invested in detection and treatment (programs that are directed at finding cancer before it is clinically apparent and that provide information and education about cancer treatments for a cure, recurrence, symptom management, and pain control)

Resources allocated to supporting services (totaling 25% of Society resources) include:

$47 million used to fund management and general expenses (executive, financial, and administrative services needed to direct the efforts of the American Cancer Society)

$175 million spent on fundraising expenses (securing charitable financial support for the Society’s programs and services)

(https://www.cancer.org/about-us/who-we-are/fact-sheet.html).”

https://www.cancer.org/about-us/financial-governance-information/combined-financial-statements.html

https://www.cancer.org/about-us/financial-governance-information/irs-form-990s.html

https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=6495

https://patch.com/georgia/cartersville/is-that-charitable-donation-going-where-you-think-it-is

“Overall, in 2016, 75% of American Cancer Society resources were invested in cancer research, patient support, prevention information and education, and detection and treatment. The other 25% of resources were used to fund our management and general expenses, and fundraising expenses,” (https://www.cancer.org/about-us/who-we-are/fact-sheet.html).

Obviously not one hundred percent of someone’s donation is going to go straight to the cause. There are doctors and nurses and research teams that need to be paid, and research needs to be funded. Without funding, there is no research. And I can’t think of anyone who is going to work for hours on end with no pay.

Overall, this is a great organization. They do great things, they promote healthy lifestyles and encourage people to be active, eat right, and avoid using tobacco products. I think we all wish more of the donations and such went to the research instead of the CEO of the program. But at the end of the day, the company is doing amazing things, and definitely moving us forward in this fight against cancer.

With the American Cancer Society, nobody fights alone. The doctors are there for you. And the research teams are working around the clock to find new ways to help and treat the specific type of cancer one has. If you need something or someone, they are available twenty four hours a day, every day.

#NECSOCIALFINAL

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ashxcass09-blog · 7 years ago

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Am I a digital native or digital immigrant because of my interest in Ms. Fatima Syed? Maybe I’m a little of both! Normally I would classify myself as a digital immigrant. Because well technology and I don’t exactly get along very well most of the time. Up until recently I had only a Facebook and an Instagram, with me only being on Facebook because I was bored, and Instagram because my friend’s daughter insisted I have one. When I had to create a twitter and Tumblr, I will admit that I was very lost. But I quickly learned how to navigate both platforms and feel confident in my ability, so maybe I do have a little bit of digital native in me! Fatima is very down to earth, it seems. I mean, she had something like fifteen tweets about Mulan. Mulan people! Everyone loves Mulan! She also tweeted excerpts from emails she had received, aka hate mail. In these, she tweeted encouraging people to take care of themselves, and keep doing good work for the world, as well as to not let things get to you, just take it with a grain of salt basically, and move on. She has 1,719 followers with over 4500 tweets. I don’t think her online influence is that big, but I do think she has one. And I definitely think she is pretty above average when it comes to being savvy via social media. She doesn’t have an outrageous number of tweets, or a huge number of followers. I’m not sure if she really markets her organization online, I mean she did announce that she is moving from the Toronto Star to the Nat Observer as an investigative reporter, which to me is a big and great new adventure for her!

#NECNews

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ashxcass09-blog · 7 years ago

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It’s 2018, and I think it’s safe to say that social media has an impact on everything. Even back in 2016 during the presidential election, I believe social media had a hand in the results of the election. Most people these days do not sit down and read a newspaper to get their information. They can easily get on their phone and pull it up, and boom there it is all over social media, along with someone else’s opinions. Let’s be real, reading other peoples opinions can help sway yours. I know I can have an opinion and be pretty adamant about it, but hearing someone else’s or reading someone else’s opinion, can help me be open minded and sway my opinion a little. I’ll also admit that at 27 years old, I am not very much into politics as I should be. My senior year of high school, my final English project was over the presidential election and that honestly was the first and last time I have dug deep into candidates and the election.

I do know that people on my two social media platforms were going absolutely crazy with this election. I mean, why wouldn’t they? Hilary Clinton a former first lady running, and Donald Trump, a multi-million-dollar business man. My thoughts about Trump were what business does he have running a country, won’t even lie. And I’ll keep my thoughts on Clinton to myself.

Until this class, the thought of how people turning to social media for their news, never really crossed my mind. Though the industry had been struggling for some time, 2015 was perhaps the worst year for newspapers since the Great Recession and its immediate aftermath. Daily circulation fell by 7%, the most since 2010, while advertising revenue at publicly traded newspaper companies fell by 8%, the most since 2009. At the same time, newsroom staffing fell by 10% in 2014, the last year for which data were available. Coming amid a wave of consolidation, this accelerating decline suggests the industry may be past its point of no return, (http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/06/15/state-of-the-news-media-2016-key-takeaways/).

I believe this fueled the fake news because just look at the statistics. The daily circulation of the newspapers decreased as well as newsroom staffing. Why? Social media and fake news. People will see an article and just assume its true because it’s on the internet. Instead of taking it and researching it to find out the absolute truth, they believe it and share it, and here we go! Fake news everywhere.

https://twitter.com/CarlParish4/status/1008096803856711680

https://twitter.com/CarmineZozzora/status/100238411532733235

https://www.npr.org/2018/04/11/601323233/6-facts-we-know-about-fake-news-in-the-2016-election

http://www.businessinsider.com/fake-presidential-election-news-viral-facebook-trump-clinton-2016-11

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/30/read-all-about-it-the-biggest-fake-news-stories-of-2016.html

#NECFakeNews

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ashxcass09-blog · 7 years ago

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Great work here! I enjoyed reading your post regarding this movement. I feel like for so long if someone had something happened to them they were so scared to bring it to light because of how someone would react. Now, it seems people can do it and have no fear or repercussions or being looked at in a different light.

What is #MeToo? The Me Too movement was founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke to help aid victims and survivors of sexual violence. The hashtag Me Too made this campaign go viral in under six months after Tarana Burke started the campaign. The main focus of this movement is to make sure survivors know they are not alone.

“Movie stars are supposedly nothing like you and me. They’re svelte, glamorous, self-possessed. They wear dresses we can’t afford and live in houses we can only dream of. Yet it turns out that—in the most painful and personal ways—movie stars are more like you and me than we ever knew.” (Zacharek, Dockterman, & Edwards, 2017) The Me Too Movement is so powerful because it shows everyone from everywhere we are all the same. We might have different skin colors, we might be different ages, we might be from a different religion or from a different culture; but in the end there is something more powerful which we share. It is something people should not have to share but lets come together and help each other out to over come our struggles, nightmares, and inner battles.

There has been so much light shining down on this issue due in part to the famous faces we are seeing on the news who are coming forward to share their stories. This is not a new issue, it is just in the spotlight due to more people standing up for themselves. Ashely Judd has been a big face to start the movement of people coming forward, but her experience dates back to 1997. It takes courage to step forward, she had to courage which has allowed others to step forward and make their stance in the viral movement.

When asked who are your idols, who is your hero, or who do you look up…..often times it is someone famous; wether it be a movie star, a super hero, or an athlete. There is something special about looking up to someone who you believe is bigger than us and has such a powerful platform and you feel can make a difference. But if these idols, superheroes, and mentos can not stand up for something or do not know where to turn for help, how does that make their fans feel. Where are the everyday school teacher, or the bank manager, or even the student suppose to turn…? What about the young kids who look to them for their strength, where are they suppose to turn…? With all of this bright light, it has been able to give courage to people who might not have been able to stand up and make a stance.

During the Golden Globes, Hollywood came together as a united front and wore all black to make a statement. During award shows it is always fun to see what all the celebrities are wearing and who they are wearing. But to continue this viral movement and to continue to make a stand, all black was worn that evening. Just a few white shirts under tuxedoes. Not only did Hollywood show us how people can come together on a night which is all about them, but make it about the world and people who are nervous to share their voice. Some actors even showed up with activist on their arm as their dates for the evening.

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This viral global movement has become something bigger. It is not an internet sensation which was the talk for a week and then slowly started disappearing. Laurel or Yanny….what do you hear or is the dress….black and blue or white and gold. These swept across the internet and became the talk over night. But it wasn’t long before they were no longer relevant and important. #MeToo and #TimesUp did take some time to spread, but now that it has it has only gained more popularity. It continues to be the talk and to be something people are continuing to support throughout the world, from the small time business person to the big time Hollywood star, there is something which units them and makes them stronger.

Reference:

Zacharek, S., Dockterman, E., & Edwards, H. (2017). The Silence Breakers. Times Magazine. Retrieved from http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2017-silence-breakers/

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ashxcass09-blog · 7 years ago

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Over the years, we have seen many challenges surface on the internet. Some are great, like the Ice Bucket Challenge was for ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, started in the summer of 2014 to help promote awareness about ALS. Many people who participated also sent donations in to encourage research for this disease. So, within 24 hours of being challenged, participants had to make a video of themselves. First, they had to announce that they accepted the challenge, and then pour ice into a bucket of water. Finally, the bucket is to be picked up and poured over the participant's head. Then the participant can nominate a minimum of three other people to participate in the challenge. This quickly became a viral sensation. See, something like this, great. Other things I’ve seen, not so great. We have seen the cinnamon challenge (which according to what I’ve read this week, was a big hit when I was growing up but I definitely don’t remember hearing anything about said stupid challenge until recently). There’s also been the bath salt challenge.” Kids have dared each other to pour salt in their hands and hold ice till it burns, douse themselves in rubbing alcohol and set themselves on fire, or throw boiling water on their friends who weren’t paying attention.

Now videos circulating on social media are showing kids biting into brightly colored liquid laundry detergent packets. Or cooking them in frying pans, then chewing them up before spewing the soap from their mouths,” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/01/13/teens-are-daring-each-other-to-eat-tide-pods-we-dont-need-to-tell-you-thats-a-bad-idea/?utm_term=.3a47e02ef8a3)

I know years ago, when my kids were smaller, Tide issued something stating to keep them out of reach of children because they were toxic and dangerous to kids (I mean duh). But I get it, I have two boys that are less than two years apart. Shit happens. Often times kids get into things they aren’t suppose to get into. My youngest son swallowed a penny and started choking on it when he was a little over a year old. Now, I’m not a helicopter mom, never have been and never will be, but I’m always checking in on my two boys to see what they are doing, making sure things were picked up when they were younger, keeping a pretty decent eye on them. I literally had just walked out of the room they were in when I heard him choking and turned around to find him struggling. My husband picked him up, and hit his back, and the penny along with other things ha-ha came flying out down the hallway. My point is, that no matter how vigilant you are, no matter how well you keep an eye on them, or keep things up and out of their reach, is that anything can happen. When they were younger, and even now, I do keep cleaning products, dish soap, and laundry soap out of their reach. Now my kids are older and yes, they have chores. (Ugh, I know, how dare I!?) So, I have special Clorox or Lysol wipes for them to use to clean their bathroom and wipe the dining room table down with. They are made with all-natural products and resources and the other ones are made with hydrogen peroxide. It’s not ideal, but I feel better at the end of the day knowing they aren’t using a ton of chemicals to clean up after themselves. Now, I’ll get off my soap box and go on to the Tide Pod Challenge.

I think that maybe because this started as a joke, someone posted a picture of a child with a long caption and basically it said that the kid was going to find the forbidden Tide Pod and eat the damn thing. But because teenagers are teenagers (I mean come one we’ve all been there. We’ve all done extremely moronic things, but I think we can all agree these recent challenges really take the cake). A lot of the things I have found online, are pointing to this was made as a joke in the beginning, but like I said kids maybe didn’t see the joke and took it seriously. Like “Hey y’all I’m going to go eat this laundry detergent pack that’s meant for WASHING LAUNDRY. What could go wrong?”

“Thirty-nine reports of teenagers intentionally misusing laundry pods came in during the first 15 days of 2018 alone, according to data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC). For context, there were 39 cases of intentional misuse of these pods among teenagers in all of 2016, and 53 in 2017, AAPCC spokesperson Edward Walrod told TIME — suggesting that while the problem may not be hugely common, it is on the rise. While teenagers are making headlines right now, parents and consumer protection groups have for years been concerned that the laundry pods too closely resemble candy or toys and could be accidentally eaten by young children who don’t know the difference. (The USCPSC has been warning parents about laundry pods since 2013.) In 2017, about 10,500 of the 12,300 estimated exposures to laundry pods occurred in children younger than five, according to the AAPCC,” (http://time.com/5104225/tide-pod-challenge/).

I have also read that Tide Pods pose a threat to the elderly community, especially those who have Alzheimer’s or dementia. My grandfather has dementia and he doesn’t even know who my sisters and I are anymore, so I could see an Alzheimer’s or dementia patient mistaking these colorful Tide Pods for a piece of candy or something. Last year there were over one hundred and fifty incidents involving elderly patients and the pods.

“Tide Pods, and other single-load laundry pouches, are potentially toxic because they often contain ethanol, hydrogen peroxide and long-chain polymers, which can burn the mouth, digestive system and stomach, according to Consumer Reports. The thin membrane around the detergent, which is designed to dissolve in the washing machine, may also melt in your mouth, releasing chemicals in as little as a few seconds. Ingesting one of these pods, according to Consumer Reports, could lead to severe gastrointestinal distress and respiratory arrest, and if the detergent makes its way into the bloodstream and organs, the effect could be fatal,” (http://time.com/5104225/tide-pod-challenge/)

#NECSocialMedia

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