Written by Susan Lane

Facebook – The Digital Bully : Observations From My Sofa

From the comfort of my sofa, armed with tea and tenacity, I’ve watched the digital tides shift – sometimes gently, sometimes with the force of a rogue algorithm. This isn’t just a blog post; it’s a poetic protest, brewed from frustration and served with a wink. If you’ve ever felt silenced by a screen or nudged aside by a bot, pull up a cushion. You’re in good company.

Are you really so daft 
Do you think we can’t see 
We make some mistakes and 
You stop us from sharing useful things 
You give no reason, you just 
Have the shear audacity 
To do as you want 
And don’t even comment 
Just like you have done to me 

Well, I don’t mind 
Because I’ve got other more important 
Things to do than 
Take notice of bots 
With nothing else to do 
You removed a post from a page I’m admin on 
It wasn’t even mine but it went against 
Community Standards, that’s fine 

You also fact checked a post from me 
No problem because I swiftly deleted it you see 
That was months ago but still it goes against me 
Yet here’s the kicker for me 
A post you didn’t like in September 2024 
Is still causing problems, 
Why hasn’t that possible restriction 
Been removed before?

Facing up to Digital

It would seem that Facebook is 
Quick to judge 
But quite incompetent to appease 
And to just stop you from sharing 
With no actual “crime” well, that’s 
Facebook stupidity 
Standing on the front line 

I’m not the only one affected you see 
And I think what it probably needs is 
For us to vote with our feet 
This page is for the community 
But it doesn’t seem to be 
It’s like being in school and 
Facing up against a digital bully 

So that said I think I shall be pleased 
If someone pulled the plug on Facebook 
Permanently 
That way they can’t bully either you or me 
With all of their rules which tend to kick in 
When there’s lots of important local or 
Health and safety information you cannot share 
Because some Facebook bod has decided 
They don’t want you to help 
Or make people aware 

Are We Ready for – The Demon Seed?

So begs the question, is it the beginning of 
“The Demon Seed” the digital film 
That was about in the late 1970s 
And are we allowing it to be 
In charge of our digital lives 
To make all its own decisions 
Without consultation with you or me 

This how the film began 
So, I think 
I may be considering something else 
Something more viable as we speak 
Now I’m off for a cup of tea and a think 
I might even click on the blog link hehe

© Susan Lane. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the author.

ColourMine poetry, and the original photographs, are completely authentic to myself, Susan Lane – no AI, no plagiarism, all checked and verified by copyleaks

Apologies for the emoji presentation – I tested several, but this was the only one that worked reliably on ColourMine. Just click the box next to the emoji and hit submit, and I’ll know if the poem resonated with you. Thank you for sharing your feelings.

More poems written by Susan Lane, and you can choose by category

Blog | Organic voice | A happy survival of triumph here

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