Breathe
By Laura Coronado Contreras
After years of uploading selfies, sharing daily images from the gym or beach getaways, women could freely show our different sides and, although there had been traces of digital violence through misplaced comments, cyberspace was "our space". A place to exchange opinions, have fun, be informed, be entertained and trade. A much more democratizing and, to some extent, more egalitarian medium.
Despite the fact that some cases of cyberbullying have been relevant news, that we have heard of the damage that networks can cause to women teenagers or the fight for the entry into force of the so-called "Olympia Law", social networks implied an enormous challenge but, at the same time, a great possibility to access knowledge, undertake and create community. The percentage distribution of social network users in Mexico in January 2024 shows, in all age ranges, a greater participation of women. For example, among young people between 18 and 24 years of age, 14.2% are female users compared to 12.6% of men. (https://es.statista.com/estadisticas/1139347/distribucion-redes-sociales-usuarios-edad-genero-mexico/)
Will we allow digital violence to rob us of these places and the opportunities we have enjoyed so far in cyberspace?
AI is showing us a much more dangerous and alarming side of technology: that our image "does not belong to us" or "belongs to us less" in the digital age. Therefore, scandals such as that of the 15 Spanish teenagers who manipulated the photographs of their underage companions, literally girls, to extort them or sell them as pornographic material, are only the tip of the iceberg of what could happen to any of us. How will we react when from a cell phone and with a couple of clicks a swimsuit becomes lingerie or a top becomes a nude? How difficult to teach our daughters, nieces or students! How complicated to live it!
It is not a matter of diluting the serious implications of the use of our images without consent, much less of minimizing or hiding them because they are of an intimate nature. These are serious criminal conducts that deserve a sanction and that cannot, and should not, remain in phrases such as "it's not that bad", "it wasn't physical, it was virtual", "they are scandalous", or "how does it affect you". Our images are part of our identity, they reflect our personality and influence our relationships with others. There is nothing more real than the virtual. A digital content remains and can be reproduced infinitely and without control. This is why many victims of this crime suffer from anxiety, sleep disorders and, unfortunately, some attempt suicide and others succeed.
Thus, accompanying them without judging, making them feel loved and accepted at every stage of their lives is vital. Sadly, telling them that "they are not just an image" is a "shield" to show them that their life is not restricted to social networks or what others say or think about them. We can all be victims, but also survivors, companions and, especially, fighters so that we form brave, responsible, free women and men who do not consume pornographic content, denounce or report harmful images and, particularly, know that it is not "a joke" to use technology to harm others or see them as mere objects.
Regulation is indispensable and the reforms to the penal norms and to the Law on Women's Access to a Life Free of Violence in our country are a great step forward, but we still have a long way to go. There are still great tasks to be done: the training of personnel sensitive to these issues in the prosecutors' offices, the optimization of time in the processes, representatives of the victims who have the means to obtain evidence of manipulation, agile responses of the platforms on the users who commit crimes through them. All this will result in a greater culture of denunciation and will lessen the already tortuous process of being distorted, objectified, extorted or commercialized.
The proverb says that "a picture is worth a thousand words" but our peace, our freedom, that our voice is heard and that we continue to benefit from the digital era, is priceless.
*Laura Coronado Contreras
* Digital Culture Expert
* Author of "Familias enredadas: cultura digital para papás, novatos y todos los que quieran aprender del sano uso de las redes sociales" (Entangled families: digital culture for dads, newbies and all those who want to learn about the healthy use of social networks).
* Member Level I of the National System of Researchers of CONAHCYT.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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