Nairobi News

African culture has an unexplained phenomenon of some people who “throw someone an evil eye’. Loosely translated, these are instances where either witchcraft practitioners, jealous or angry people look at a person with so much contempt that it is thought they are giving the devil ‘eyes’ through which he can mess with their target.

Such people who ‘throw evil eyes’ are believed to target people who are doing well in life whether financially, socially and reproductively. This is why pregnant women are often encouraged to dress up decently and cover their bellies with shawls if they can to ‘hide’ their unborn baby from evil eyes.

You will even find in some cultures that mothers are often encouraged to leave their children behind when going to burials and funerals because they are easier targets compared to adults who ‘know’ how to fight and ward off evil eyes.

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With this in mind, pregnant women should exercise great caution when sharing their pregnancies online with friends and strangers. Not just because of the ‘evil eyes’ but to avoid unwarranted attention.

This is because some people may feel entitled to comment on your body, your pregnancy or your unborn baby and because there is power of life and death in the tongue, it is better to be safer than sorry. Being cautious will help you maintain boundaries and avoid uncomfortable situations.

Additionally, caution will serve you well when you don’t share your pregnancy online. You will not only be protecting your privacy but ensuring your safety. This is because there are weird people walking the streets.

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There have been global reports of pregnant women being targeted by people desperate for babies, people having pregnancy fetishes and generally, people out to attack women at their most vulnerable times. Save yourself the risks? You must also consider your online security. Ensure your privacy setting are set so that you are able to control who can access your content.

Pregnancy is a vulnerable and emotional time for many women and sharing updates about it online will probably open the door to criticism, judgment or negative comments which can have a detrimental effect on your well-being. You must be mindful of what you share so that it can help you protect your emotional health.

At the end of the day, you must also consider the long term implications of what you share online about your pregnancy. Once information is posted on the internet, it can be challenging to control its spread or completely remove it. You must reflect on how your posts may impact your child’s privacy and future, as they may grow up with a digital footprint they didn’t choose.

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