Safety is the secret key to having autonomy on the internet

Safety is something we want for those we love, Autonomy is what we want for ourselves. On the internet safety is a factor that plays into our desire for autonomy

In spite of the drastic evolution of technology in the 21st century, where social beings talk about equality and justice, women are not safe,  be it offline or online!

Without a doubt, the Internet is one of the best resources available to us in the new era. But as you know that every coin has two sides, the internet too has its pros and cons. It's extremely dangerous if you arenʼt aware of who and what lurks at us behind the scenes.

Cyberstalking is now rapidly rising with the increasing use of the internet. The social media sites have made it now much easier for people to know all about your life, what you do and where you go. You should be very cautious when revealing one's personal information in the social media.

Firstly, when we talk about social media, the first one that pops up in our the mind is social media. In that space, you should be accepting requests of only known people and not just random people who catch your attention.

Online harassment is a major topic now. Sending nasty, mean, insulting, malicious gossip and sexual harassing messages repeatedly can lead to serious problems like poor mental health also triggering emotional reactions. It is on the rise in India with 8 out of 10 surveyed reported having encountered some of the other forms of cyber harassment. Cyberbullies usually target pre-teens and which can also lead them to committing suicides, depression and loneliness. Such complaints should be filed and prosecuted.

Geotagging, keeping one's location on, should be used wisely and accurately. If we are taking a cab, it's better to keep our location on but when not in use, it would be better to keep it off to avoid location tracking.

Prevention is better than cure! So it is better to be careful. There are various ways in which you can ensure your online safety. One is by changing your account passwords frequently and having a strong password. Also, you need to stop reacting violently to the one who sends you filthy and harassing messages and better is not to instigate them and stop responding to their messages because thatʼs just what they want. One should be aware of what intentions the opposite person has for us.

We also need to remember that you yourself should not be a cyber-bully!