The Tech Shock Podcast - Seyi Akiwowo
This week, Vicki and Geraldine are joined by Seyi Akiwowo, founder and CEO of Glitch – an online charity which campaigns to end hate speech against women – and author of ‘How to Stay Safe Online’.
Seyi begins by contextualising what motivated her to write 'How to Stay Safe Online' – arguing that women (and black women in particular) are far more likely to suffer online abuse, and that there’s a need to both recognise and address this.
On the causal roots of abusive behaviour, the group discusses whether it might stem simply from insecurities, or perhaps something more complex. And further, if these habits are learned over time, how feasible is the prospect of unlearning?
Focus then turns to the concept of digital self-care. How might we go about reinstating the sorts of control and boundaries that we have the ability (and sometimes need) to establish offline? And can self-care – that is, taking measures to exercise autonomy and to protect ourselves – be balanced with significantly free and open online experiences?
To close, Vicki and Geraldine ask what Seyi’s dream piece of tech legislation looks like, alongside how optimistic she is that conditions will, eventually, improve for victims of hate and online abuse.
You can listen to the episode via Plink, Spotify, Apple, or Google.