SIMRUN KNOWS BEST

Concerning my previous article, 'Social media and privacy concerns', I felt the need to shed light in detail on 'Online Harassment'. All of us, at some time, have been trolled or harassed on social media platforms for raising our voices or advocating for or against a socially relevant issue. Online harassment is not limited to celebrities but extends to common people as well. An article from 'The Hindu' states that 8 out of 10 Indians have faced online harassment in some or the other way. Let alone 41% of women have fallen victim to online sexual harassment.  https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/8-out-of-10-indians-have-faced-online-harassment/article19798215.ece . Online harassment can range from insults and bullying, sexual harassment to rape or death threats and demeaning comments. With Indians spending more time on social media, there has been a spike in cases of online harassment which has made India one of those countries where cyberstalking ...

  It has almost been two years since Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani starrer 'Kabir Singh' released at the box office. The movie, which happens to be the Hindi adaptation of 'Arjun Reddy' is directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The very day the movie was released for the audience, it became a hit. No doubt, the music was melodious and the storyline had us crying our eyes out at the theatre, remembering that one person.   Shahid Kapoor as an actor has portrayed the character with accuracy and class. The actor who was popularly known as the 'chocolate boy' now played the role of an overly aggressive individual with a drug problem. And as for Kiara Advani, it is hard to imagine any other actress play the role of Preeti with sheer innocence and dedication.  Like many others, I also became a fan of the movie and wondered what it would be like if I had a boyfriend like Kabir. But thank god! my craze was short-lived and I did not bump into anyone like Kabir. Hold on, let me...

What does a woman really want? a question that has mind boggled men and philosophers over time. Understanding a woman has often been compared to quantum physics because apparently, it is that hard?  March 8th, A day when people across the globe recognise women in their lives and all over the world for what they have contributed to society.  It is on this day corporates choose to represent and highlight 'womanhood' in their corporate social responsibility or marketing campaigns, reward their woman employees with bouquets and greeting cards, maybe some recognition. But do women want only one day of recognition and respect?  Women have come a long way to procure certain basic rights. Generations later, the fight against patriarchy still goes on in all corners of the world. Equality for women may have been achieved on paper, laws may have been made but how prevalent are they?  Even today a woman is expected to get married by the time she turns 25 and bear children befor...

I thought I knew what 'Love' looked like.  At 16, Love for me had tiny eyes with long lashes, Love had a voice that had just reached its depth.  Love was proud, and to get love, I had to drown.  Maybe that wasn't 'Love', but somehow it felt like it was.  Maybe I'll never know or maybe one day, I will know.  At 20, someone knocked again, but it wasn't 'Love'.  How could it be? for he who knocked was not who I thought ‘Love’ would be.  He did not have tiny eyes but long lashes,  He was not proud but a warm chord.  He did not want me to drown, he was different, yet what I felt for him,  I cannot argue if it is not love.  Maybe it is, maybe it is not.    So what is 'Love'?  A type, a feeling or a person?  Or 'Love' exists just in my mind? Or has it crept me but I just don't realise? Or will it find me when the time is right?  What if 'Love' is not my type?  These are the answers, I still have to find. ...

  2020, the moment I utter the digits, those in front of me utter promptly, "Ugh". There is no denying the fact that 2020, indeed was a challenging year, full of ups and downs, actually, mostly downs.  Let us go back 12 months, to December'2019 when everyone around the world, be it in Mumbai or Manhattan, was out for shopping Christmas presents and decorations, celebrating thanksgiving with their loved ones, meeting up with friends for new years or just chugging on beer cans. All of this sounds so nostalgic, to me, it seems like the last time I made such plans was in my past life. No one, including myself, ever thought that we will ever have to face something like a pandemic, in fact, most of us didn't know what the word 'pandemic' meant in the first place making it the most searched for word on Google in 2020. I'm sure that many of us were already familiar with the epidemics that have taken place across the globe from time to time but a disease or sicknes...

  It has been around seven months since educational institutions in India; Schools and colleges were ordered to shut until further notice. As a student, I very much understand how ineffective online education can be. Trying to adjust to the new normal, I would say was no piece of cake.  At that time I was faced with two options. I could either blame the pandemic and the situation for the large hole that was about be dug in my education or make the most of this time to hone my existing skills and learn new ones, shaping me as a professional.  I chose the latter option. I started out as a fresher into the job market with no experience or understanding of how the professional world works. Let me tell you, as a college student with no prior experience, landing an internship opportunity was very often disappointing. Nowadays, companies prefer hiring candidates with prior work experience or skills.   HOW IT ALL STARTED? While my university was still finding a way to educat...

  With more than 26 million cases, the COVID-19 pandemic has grappled the world and there is no sign of it getting better. The future of students is on hold and people are being laid off. Economies are sinking and industries collapsing.  It has almost been six months since a nationwide lockdown was imposed in our country due to which schools, colleges and offices were ordered to shut. Students were told to educate themselves through online lectures and employees, asked to work from home.  While the working class is still trying to adjust to the new routine called 'work from home' (as exciting as it sounds) it has had its own implications. When you work from home, your employer in most cases, naturally assumes that since you are at the comfort of your home, you can easily and effectively do the work that is given to you.  Raised employer expectations often have employees overworking themselves, sometimes without breaks in front of a screen. The pressure to look and so...