and
Why I believe that writing "s3x", "v@gina" etc., and selecting what to post to not to be shadowbanned is "being part of the problem".
(By the way: I also get banned for pictures without nudity. Like this one below. I mean technically the model was nude...)
I am tired. I am tired of thinking of ways how to post on social media to please a stupid algorithm which is deeply influenced by humanity's shaming of the human body and shaming of sexuality.
And yes, I feel that also I become more "prude" by using Instagram. I start to see my drawings differently. "Can I still post this?" I ask myself more often. And I don't like that. Living in a small town in conservative Sweden does not help my personal liberty. Berlin, where are you?
Of course, becoming more prude is true for not just Instagram, but other spaces as well. It seems like we change to a "new" way of dealing with nudity, sensuality, and sexuality.
I would really like to be part of the solution. I would like to help people to feel good (if not great) in their skin. To get rid of old conditioning which is not serving us any longer. But how is this possible? How can I make a difference? Today I try by writing this article (So, please share and comment, to help the discussion to reach more people. Thank you!)
Yes, social media is prude. Let's face it. Right now way more than just genitals or female nipples get banned. All my artistic friends who are into life drawing (nude or dressed figure drawing)face shadow banns every other week. And let's be honest what gets shamed is either deeply influenced by patriarchy, capitalism or just arbitrary. And shame makes us avoid things because it hurts too much to be threatened to not belong to the group anymore.
I myself get constantly banned. And yes, it is the algorithm, not a person. If the bann (and my rejection of it) reaches a human being I usually get unbanned after a few days. Recently I have been waiting longer. Still waiting. But this costs time and followers and sometimes the work I invested in creating posts was for nothing and my posts are not seen by anyone.
So I do not post so much anymore. I don't want to cut off parts of my painting - especially when I never know what will be banned and why.
Question: Is it actually possible to create a non-biased algorithm which does not emphasize already existing sexism, sex-negativity, misogyny, and racism??? (I doubt that. Have a look at AI and it's biases. But we could do better by recognizing the isms and working consciously against it, do you agree?)
In addition, to me it looks like that more and more countries, spaces, places become more conservative and sex-avoidant or sex-negative. I mean, planning to steal the freedom of humans with a womb in the US? Really? Are you serious??? When I was younger, I still believed that we would develop into something better. Not go back in time. But I clearly was wrong about that.
I would like to stress/investigate/talk about/discuss how behavior which "adapts" to the stricter rules in what-so-ever space leads to even more conservative vibes. Please, start discussing. With me here or otherwise.
First of all: The nude body as such is not sexual. It just is. We know that. And then: sexuality as such is a great thing, would you disagree?
The more we hide something and make a big deal out of it, the more we will get the feeling that there must be a good reason to "not do/show/say" this thing you are hiding. And yes, this also happens subconsciously. The "Beep" instead of the "fuck" to me is not explainable. Soon they need to "Bleep" the "Beep" because it stands for something "naughty". Another angle: Can you explain to me the difference between a female walking around bare-chested and a woman showing her breasts while nursing her child? Both are totally natural. Only that we seem to have agreed that one is sexual the other isn't.
Let's have a look at why there could be an interest in less freedom and well-being around and towards your own body and your sexuality. (For reference watch a few videos by Ann Shelise Sola in "Cults to Consciousness". Great stuff.)
Who really does want to avoid that humans feel great in their skin? Why is the often misused "child protection" just a dialectic method to make you feel that you should behave/be different?
My perspective: This is power play. If you own your body, if you feel good about yourself - no matter what, you are less easy to be controlled and manipulated and will be less likely to obey. So there is a reason why the empowered sexual being is "dangerous" to the ones in power.
I feel like a conspiracy theory creator writing this, but listen. Imagine, from today on, everyone who eats chocolate cookies gets first shamed, then banned, and finally put to jail. How long can we as a society keep the belief up, that eating a chocolate cookie is something harmless, even something nice?
Our brain is wired to make sense of things. Like seeing pictures or creatures in the clouds. So, staying with my example, soon we will find good reasons why it is totally normal to shame, punish, and jail people who dare to keep eating the forbidden cookies. We will find ways to feel superior to the cookie eaters and deny we ever tasted some. Maybe chocolate cookies were never your thing so you feel no loss and even more you cannot understand why others feel the unholy need to eat chocolate cookies. Maybe they should go to therapy. Or just control themselves.
If you still eat chocolate cookies - because you find the new rules crazy and why would you deny yourself this simple pleasure - that might put you in a defense mode, because you feel threatened by the neysayers. Which might lead to you reacting more aggressively towards them, the non-cookie-eaters, especially when they try to convince you to become part of the no-cookie-movement.
Soon cafés will open up where... (You see my point?)
Even the critical mind has to do quite some work to stay on a sensible path in this scenario.
And accordingly, hiding the body away and shaming (and therefore not allowing) nudity in all circumstances besides the frame of a relationship is just making the problem bigger. This way we connect the nude body with sexuality. And even see nudity as part of sexuality. Also shaming sexuality is not helping to create healthy relations towards oneself or towards each other.
So, what do we do? I myself try to stay focused on being my most authentic self. Being there for discussions to unravel who is benefiting from suppressed desires, feelings and behaviors. And yes, there are behaviors which need to be sanctioned. These are the ones which harm another person. So wherever informed consent is not or cannot be given that is. And yes, @instagram, please tell me how my drawings could "harm" someone.
Ha, now tell me what you think. Challenge me. Or compliment me. I go and buy some chocolate cookies. Want some?
Seductive greetings,
Siri
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