Digital exile is not the answer, we have to be present and grow on digital

Safety is the space where it is acceptable to be vulnerable, where children are invited to grow and learn. Safety is the place where curiosity is parked and dreams are formed. Safety is the space where leaders are born and developed. Without safety, a child feels struck, insecure, afraid and more concerned about surviving than exploring the magic of laughter.

~Nia Long

Safety is a primary concern of a woman from the moment she leaves the doors of her house. However in today’s world that is the information age, the question arise ‘Is she safe at home?’, ‘Is she safe when she connects her computer to the world?’ Today we have reached a barrier where invaders of privacy are as dangerous as the malefactors and delinquents stalking the streets.

For women, information about location, work, kids’ schools, and social connections can lead an abuser to the doorstep.

For women, information about location, work, kids’ schools, and social connections can lead an abuser to the doorstep. For them, information about friends, thoughts, feelings, opinions, and interests can be misused by an abuser to control, isolate, or humiliate. Privacy is essential to safety, to dignity, to independence. Yet, we live in a time when personal information = profit.

Digital exile is not the answer

In my experience, simple tips and tricks help us safeguard our privacy from predators. Here are a few of those tricks: -

1. Don’t leave your webcam connected.
2. Don’t share more than necessary.
3. Meet online acquaintances in public spaces.
4. Secure your devices with anti-virus software.
5. Block people you don’t want to interact with.
6. Check the privacy settings of your profile and make sure it’s set to the right level.
7. Don’t use the same password for different accounts.

These simple tricks have helped me in achieving peace of mind about safety of my private information.

Technology, and the Internet, is a public space where everyone, including women, should have the right, to share their voices, to make connections, and to access information without fear of their personal information being collected and used without their consent. The real power of the internet is in stepping up and speaking out and saying “These spaces need to be safe for everyone who uses them.”