When social media saved a Delhi girl

Last week, a girl from Delhi sent a photo to The Artidote, a social media community that offers support and a space to heal through art. The 20-year-old posted a photo of herself and spoke of her plan to kill herself because she was pregnant with a child that wasn’t her boyfriend’s and didn’t want to bring shame to her family. Following her post on Snapchat, people from across the globe took to dissuading her from taking the extreme step. She was asked to speak to her family, with people sending her words of encouragement.

Speaking to HT City, the girl who chose to remain anonymous, explained why she had decided to end her life, and how the warmth of strangers gave her the strength to change her decision. “I come from a Punjabi family and premarital sex and pregnancy are a huge deal,” she says, adding, “The empathy of people who showed support made me reconsider my decision to overdose. I felt protected, loved, cared for. Like my life mattered.”

She says that a snap posted by a girl from Karachi on her prayer mat, praying for her, made her change her decision. She then confided in her mother and underwent the abortion and is healing at home. “My mother was shocked but she’s been here for me. My father still doesn’t know and I hope he never finds out,” she says.

Talking about the incident, Jovanny Varela, the moderator of The Artidote, says, “The internet can be a vicious place but it does have some heartwarming moments. With so much hatred covering world news, this is a positive story that restores my faith in humanity.”

Clockwise: Her first post; Varela thanks everyone; Her post after telling her mom; A support post