Unintended Consequences … My Facebook account was disabled..
How does that phrase go? If you are not buying something then you are the product. Over the last ten years I don’t know how many times I had heard that statement in relation to Facebook, and to be honest, it wasn’t something I had given any real thought or consideration to, but that was before my account was disabled…
Like a lot of people I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the platform, sometimes there is too much noise, too much negativity, and content that really isn’t relevant to me and if I’m honest I’m not even sure I like the platform that much. Don’t get me wrong, I love keeping connected with family and friends but the other stuff I can do without.
Over the years I had considered closing my account, but so far I haven’t — instead, I pruned my friend’s lists, I left some pages — and I have stayed on the platform. That was until last Tuesday.
It was the usual morning routine (I keep my phone close to my bed, I justify it by telling myself that my job is so I’m important that I need to be contactable 24/7/365….like I’m trying to find a cure for COVID-19 or something). I usually check emails, DMs, texts, news feeds, and of course, social media before my feet hit the floor.. (it’s a habit and not a good one.)
So I checked all the usual stuff and then when I tried to log in to my FB account I got a message saying my account had been disabled. No explanation or message, just cut, gone, disconnected, out in the cold for violating Facebook’s standards -exactly how I did this I’m still trying to figure out. Was it when I changed my profile picture to a favourite cartoon character (who doesn’t love Spongebob Squarepants?) or perhaps it was it when I advertised pine doors for sale on Facebook marketplace that done it?
Of course, the notification said that if I wanted to raise a dispute and reactivate my account then there was a process. So, without any real consideration I followed the links to try and get my account reactivated, Facebook wanted documentary evidence of my existence, my photo, my date of birth, where I live and so on and so on — but it’s their ball, they own the game and if you want to play then this is what you have to do.
I sent off all the required information through a very anonymous looking contact page and waited. I figured that as I’m not on any crazy right-wing groups advocating for world domination or any other batshit crazy forums I should be ok, at last count I follow a couple of running groups, a Star Wars fan group, an Irish history page, and some other local sports clubs. Days passed, weeks passed I was still locked out, held in a no-mans land of no communication with no active Facebook account.
But then the law of unintended consequences kicked in. Since my account has been disabled my connection to my cell phone has completely changed. I have stopped picking it up to check Facebook, I don’t keep checking work emails after hours, I’m not looking to see how my team are getting on or if there is an ‘immediate task’ that I need to respond to. I’m not ‘on’ all the time and I have become more focused on actual tasks instead of scrolling, clicking and adding emojis to every post. I’m sleeping better and I certainly don’t look at other social media platforms with the same frequency as I did with Facebook.
For the first time in almost 10 years, I have no Facebook account. I have noticed that the habit of picking up the phone only to be met with the ‘your account has been disabled’ notification has had a very positive effect. I no longer browse content like an automaton, looking at never-ending social media streams, following, clicking, liking, not liking, interacting with people, places and things I didn’t really care about.
I had forgotten that my cell phone is a tool of communication, it’s a ‘thing’, an object, and not an extension of my arm — and while social media is pretty cool and a great way to be connected to friends and family its not the end of the world if you are not ‘connected’ 24/7/365. It’s much more important to have a meaningful connection as opposed to be being ‘friends’ on a platform so now I talk, mail and connect in person — its much more fun.
So, I ask myself the question ‘if Facebook let’s me back in the ‘club’ and reactivates my account do I really want to be back in it?’
I think I will pass this time around, its much nicer outside…..