In 2016, a Zimbabwean High Court judge named Tawanda Chitapi made waves with his ruling that married people cannot look through each other's phones because it violates privacy rights. This sparked huge debates both online and offline in Zimbabwe, where most people follow Christian beliefs and hold traditional values. One newspaper ran a flashy headline saying, "Hands off spouses' phones," which made everything worse. Many readers just saw that headline and formed opinions without reading the full article about what the judge actually meant.
People started calling this the "mjolo pandemic" in street talk, but everyone missed a chance to talk seriously about digital safety in Zimbabwe. The conversation became all about morals and protecting cheaters instead of real security issues. Many people think checking phones means you suspect your partner is cheating, but digital security goes way beyond relationship drama. Important things like protecting yourself from money theft, personal threats, and bigger society risks got pushed aside or completely ignored in these discussions.
It takes real awareness to understand that digital security isn't just about hiding texts from your boyfriend or girlfriend. Everyone should check how safe they really are online, even if learning the truth makes them nervous. I completely understand why people don't think much about digital security. Technology changes really fast, making it hard to keep up with the latest safety measures. New tech upgrades feel confusing for tech-scared people like me but exciting for younger folks who make up most of the population.
Being scared of technology doesn't mean you're old. I don't follow the newest gadgets or features or care about tech buzz, but nobody calls me old. I mainly care if my devices can access the internet, news and help me connect with friends and work contacts. I always knew staying online mattered for my job to keep up with policy changes, but I never truly realized how dangerous my bad digital habits were until I joined special training with colleagues at the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum organized by Paradigm Initiative, which works for internet freedom across Africa.
I already did some basic things to protect myself online before the training. I always tried to create strong, unique passwords for my accounts. Living in a country where some websites get blocked, I learned to use Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to access everything I need. I regularly back up my information and update the security software on my devices. But these steps just scratch the surface of true digital protection. Real security awareness helps prevent hacking, stops spying, and makes it harder for others to intercept what you send and receive online.
The training taught me about free tools anyone can use to secure devices and report suspicious online activity. Nobody stays completely safe from unethical breaches into our devices. Most of us don't control the internet sites whose terms we blindly accept, and almost everyone loves connecting to free public WiFi without thinking twice. We leave trails of personal information everywhere we go online, creating avoidable risks to our safety. Yet, we focus mainly on hiding messages from partners instead of protecting ourselves from bigger threats from governments, companies, hackers, and criminals who might harm us.
People working in media and community organizations should learn about digital security tools and keep reading about new developments. This represents the bare minimum effort needed to help create safer internet spaces for everyone. Taking these small steps makes a huge difference in protecting ourselves and others from digital dangers that grow more serious every day. Learning proper security measures helps build confidence when navigating online spaces and reduces anxiety about potential threats lurking in our increasingly connected world.
People started calling this the "mjolo pandemic" in street talk, but everyone missed a chance to talk seriously about digital safety in Zimbabwe. The conversation became all about morals and protecting cheaters instead of real security issues. Many people think checking phones means you suspect your partner is cheating, but digital security goes way beyond relationship drama. Important things like protecting yourself from money theft, personal threats, and bigger society risks got pushed aside or completely ignored in these discussions.
It takes real awareness to understand that digital security isn't just about hiding texts from your boyfriend or girlfriend. Everyone should check how safe they really are online, even if learning the truth makes them nervous. I completely understand why people don't think much about digital security. Technology changes really fast, making it hard to keep up with the latest safety measures. New tech upgrades feel confusing for tech-scared people like me but exciting for younger folks who make up most of the population.
Being scared of technology doesn't mean you're old. I don't follow the newest gadgets or features or care about tech buzz, but nobody calls me old. I mainly care if my devices can access the internet, news and help me connect with friends and work contacts. I always knew staying online mattered for my job to keep up with policy changes, but I never truly realized how dangerous my bad digital habits were until I joined special training with colleagues at the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum organized by Paradigm Initiative, which works for internet freedom across Africa.
I already did some basic things to protect myself online before the training. I always tried to create strong, unique passwords for my accounts. Living in a country where some websites get blocked, I learned to use Virtual Private Networks (VPN) to access everything I need. I regularly back up my information and update the security software on my devices. But these steps just scratch the surface of true digital protection. Real security awareness helps prevent hacking, stops spying, and makes it harder for others to intercept what you send and receive online.
The training taught me about free tools anyone can use to secure devices and report suspicious online activity. Nobody stays completely safe from unethical breaches into our devices. Most of us don't control the internet sites whose terms we blindly accept, and almost everyone loves connecting to free public WiFi without thinking twice. We leave trails of personal information everywhere we go online, creating avoidable risks to our safety. Yet, we focus mainly on hiding messages from partners instead of protecting ourselves from bigger threats from governments, companies, hackers, and criminals who might harm us.
People working in media and community organizations should learn about digital security tools and keep reading about new developments. This represents the bare minimum effort needed to help create safer internet spaces for everyone. Taking these small steps makes a huge difference in protecting ourselves and others from digital dangers that grow more serious every day. Learning proper security measures helps build confidence when navigating online spaces and reduces anxiety about potential threats lurking in our increasingly connected world.
