ONLINE ABUSE CAN’T BE NORMALISED: ZOYA AKHTAR

MUMBAI: In a session jointly organised by the Population Foundation of India and Jaipur Literature Festival, director and producer Zoya Akhtar, discussed the dangers of online abuse and bullying with author Mihir Sharma. The session titled, ‘Cyber Bullies: Anonymity and Accountability’, was streamed on YouTube and Facebook. The conversation between Zoya and Mihir, a Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, underscored the dangers of cyberbullying. Mihir is the author of ‘Restart: The Last Chance for the Indian Economy’. Zoya has directed films such as ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ and ‘Gully Boy’.

Zoya says, “Social media gives people anonymity while bullying and abusing just about anyone and there is no accountability. The fact that social media platforms enable the abusers of women by not identifying them or holding them accountable is a recipe for disaster as it is just a matter of time before the virtual abuse seeps into real spaces.” She also expressed concern over the fact that online abuse spares no one, not even young girls for whom the psychological damage may prove to be debilitating. This deterioration in online discourse is not a recent development but a trend that has become increasingly toxic, says Zoya.