Tolerance is key to networking site
January 15, 2009
Lately it seems that we, the members of the Editorial Board, can’t go one week without discussing the latest issue on Facebook.
This week is no different.
So what’s the latest minifeed gossip you might find floating around your own Facebook homepage this week?
According to a recent Time article, it all has to do with nipples.
According to the article, Facebook has decided to take action after finding numerous women posting photos of themselves breastfeeding their babies — photos that Facebook deems obscene.
The debate over the act of women breastfeeding in public has been around a long time.
However, with popular social networking sites, such as Facebook, the issue has been thrown into a whole different dimension.
Recently, when numerous women received word that their photos had been removed by Facebook because they were considered to fall under the category of obscene, it didn’t take long for users to respond.
A Facebook group titled “Hey Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!” was created and has grown to over 85,000 members.
A virtual protest occurred in which over 11,000 protesters uploaded breastfeeding photos to their profiles.
Some members even went straight to the company’s headquarters in California.
Facebook claims that it has the right to remove any photos that it feels are obscene, including any photos that expose the breast, or clearly show the nipple or areola.
In another recent Time article on the subject, one woman who was interviewed said “there are pictures posted from parties they went to where people are under the influence of alcohol, and wearing little or no clothing.”
We members of the Editorial Board feel that if mothers want to post photos of themselves breastfeeding their babies, they should be allowed to.
While we do understand both sides of the argument, we can’t seem to ignore the fact that in many cases on Facebook, pictures or even advertisements placed on pages are often more vulgar than what may be seen in a breastfeeding photo.
As social networking sites continue to become an even important part of how we as friends, families and co-workers choose to communicate, we feel it is necessary to understand that diversity online means that we may not always agree with everything we see, hear, or read — much like in real life — and that accepting other lifestyles is important.