My Social Identity Was Eliminated
Recently, not once, but twice, Facebook deleted my account for ‘Violating Community Standards’. When this occurs, there’s an appeal process (it’s a checkbox), and a chat, but the scanning of your Facebook page is managed by AI and bots, not human intelligence.
Therefore, results are only as good as their highly flawed algorithms and ‘intelligence’.
I’ve been on Facebook since 2014. I’ve never trolled for as many friends as possible. But over 12 years, I amassed 2000 or so ‘friends’, and thousands of followers of EHI’s business page.
While I used to have a louder voice politically during the current regime’s first run at destroying the country, I’ve been much less noisy in the second regime. I know I’m largely preaching to the choir. So why talk about it?
The last 3 posts I made on Facebook are shown below. Apparently one of them cost me my social media presence.
Then there’s Lola. Our Castro Laboreiro rescue mutt – a doll and a complete monster.
Can you see why I was denied access?
Me either.
I mean, do goats actually violate community standards? Dang. The world is a harsh place. Goats???
I was pissed. And shocked.
At first, I felt like I’d lost a piece of myself
Connections. Photos. Posts. Friends. Experiences. Memories.
There are lots of people to whom I am connected yet have no other access to beyond my Facebook account. Quite a few have become meaningful connections; built through ongoing interaction over long periods of time, all disappeared in less than 5 minutes with no further recourse beyond litigation.
Because of goats? Flowers? Lola?
I was sad. And hurt.
Who needs who? Think about it:
Facebook is an empty, vacuous space that can only filled by others.
I don’t need it. It needs me. And it needs you.
Facebook does not define who I am – or who you are.
I know this – you do, too.
Yet, I had become accustomed most days to devoting a small amount of time and energy to keeping up that Social Self, the me that:
- tells stories about my animals and their antics
- shares experiences about life in Portugal
- reposts puns that make me snort my coffee through my nose
- swoons over extraordinary beauty – photography, sculpture, painting, pottery dance, literature, the natural world
- feels inspired by people doing amazing things
- aligns with sovereignty, acceptance, inclusion, democracy, autonomy, compassion and peace; seeing our planet and its inhabitants as having the right to thrive, get our needs met
In doing so, that Social Self gave the platform a level of authority that I’m no longer willing to allow.
The truth is:
None of who I am needs Facebook to be me.
None of what I believe needs Facebook to be expressed.
I am sovereign – and so are you
I spend my time differently now. I’m more actively studying Portuguese. I’m eligible for citizenship in 2027 and need to pass a language exam to apply. .I’m intentionally aligning my energy with what I want to manifest and actualize.
I’ve also reclaimed my connection to my humor; I amuse myself. I make up my own puns. I laugh more in my interactions. I believe there’s a song for every experience, and I apply my lyrics to familiar music.
I am helping my partner bring his paintings into the world. We’ve updated his website with his new style of work and are preparing to seek gallery representation. It’s creative, collaborative, connected and joyous.
I’m doing things I love; planning our landscape, helping a young Portuguese entrepreneur build her online presence to share and market her brilliant ideas.
The invitation
Take a look at what you’ve allowed to define you and decide if it’s aligned, if it feels solid, affirming and authentic. If it does, awesome – then claim it for yourself. Bring it inside of you and own it.
If it doesn’t align, do the inner discovery to Be Who You Are.
