Facebook's increasingly stringent laws regarding explicit images seems not to apply to violence or soft porn, in fact it seems to be a blatant cover to bully breastfeeding mums. These mums are simply documenting snippets of their life. Breastfeeding workers also use pictures to offer support to breastfeeding families across the globe.
On March 13th 2012, after months of watching my facebook friends profiles de-activated due to the sharing of breastfeeding pictures - followed by outrage and nurse-ins at FB headquarters, globally. Yet another of my Facebook friends 'Shana Ritter' had her profile de-activated.
I decided in support of Shana and all the other mums who have had their pictures removed, to use a breastfeeding picture as my cover picture - this was a picture which I had uploaded more than a year ago!
The picture in question is an old Benetton advert from the early 90s - which is in now way sexual, but does show shock-horror, a nipple!!!!
This picture was shared by many and sparked many discussions - most comments being positive, some said it made them think about adoption, and how they'd like to try to breastfeed their own adopted children. Some didn't notice the colour of the skin at all. Practically all agreed it is a beautiful picture.
On March 14th 2012, I opened my facebook to realise my account was blocked for 24 hours - the reason? I had shared sexually explicit pictures, with the Benetton advert showing up. I was also informed this was my second warning (News to me, as far as I know this is my first!).
I was also then told to remove any pictures which were 'sexually explicit and contains nudity'. There was a whole load of them that Facebook had flagged, and if I was honest whilst some contained naked skin, certainly NONE were sexually explicit. But I felt pushed into a corner, and I at least checked the Benetton advert, with great resentment, I felt like I was lying to myself and my beliefs however I did it with the notion that I will contact Facebook at a later date, to request the pictures back.
What Facebook had flagged was a joke in itself (see screenshot attached) Some were my babies, some were random (My School mug, a festival shot, advertising for a festival). And there were a few breastfeeding pictures.
On the same day another FB friend had to request people stop posting pictures of children who had been blown up on her page (because obviously Facbook has no problems with the sharing of these images).
There are also many pages on Facebook which incite hatred or other disgusting acts, these pages get reported but not removed.
One such page being: Don't Breastfeed In Public - It Makes The Rest Of Us Uncomfortable.
I know for a fact, that many people have reported this page, for harassment, sexism, hatred toward a group. Not to mention that it is Illegal to harass a women who is breastfeeding in public - at least here in the UK.
We are not meant to be brought up by machines, we are meant to be nurtured by our mothers. There is a whole generation of young girls who aspire to be like Jordan, who see Pole dancing as a fun past time, they want to be rich and famous, or stick thin - they hate and disrespect their own bodies.
The Boys are angry, who have low self worth.
They have probably spent more time on 'The Naughty Step' than on their mothers Bosom.
Could these kids have been save the heartache if they themselves had been breastfed?
Would young women have a healthier view of their body image, if they had grown up seeing breastfeeding - knowing the purpose of their Jugs?
I do not have the answers to that, but I do know that breastfeeding rates would be higher if we saw breastfeeding as the normal thing it is.
The nourishment it gives our children, is paramount to their health. The facts are there in black and white.
So, Facebook - I'd like to know exactly who you think you are protecting with these laws?
It certainly isn't children.
I would like to share my 7 year old boy's view on all this
"It's stupid Mum, it's just food for babies - how can anyone find that disgusting?"
"Breastfeeding in public is just like eating an ice cream in public?"
No comments:
Post a Comment