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Writters advice,

"Hope is the best emotion a human can have, which is why depression is the hardest thing to overcome, because it attacks you're ability to see a better future"

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Is Deepfake technology as harmful as revenge porn

The term “Deepfake” originated on a Reddit forum, where users were editing images of celebrities into pornographic imagery. This forum has since been removed, but the community has rebuilt themselves in the corners of the internet and have evolved to using images of average women and young girls, with the aid of more convincing technology.

Deepfake technology works by feeding an Artificial Intelligence system images of a person, and the algorithm will build and recreate a mimic of that face over the face of a new person. Due to the rise of social media people can collect enough source images to feed the algorithm and create deepfake images from mostly anyone.

The media has recently started highlighting deepfakes as a risk to politics, as videos of political candidates were doctored from interpretations. But, a September 2019 Deeptrace found that 96% of the use of Deepfakes online were for pornographic use.  Pornhub and other porn streaming sites have banned deepfakes’ on their site, although due to the upload nature of these free to use sites, most videos are ether not spotted or re-uploaded by the same or other users.

Australian law graduate Noelle Martin is the most well known case of a non-celebrity figure who’s spoken out against the use of deepfake technology being used for pornography.

At age 17 Noelle Martin first found doctored images of herself after reverse image searching a selfie of herself online, finding predatory images of her face on the body of porn actresses. In her 2018 TedTalk speech for Ted x Perth, Martin described her experience across the previous five years since finding the doctored photographs as, “-horrific battle that almost ruined my (Martin’s) life.” In the talk she voices the graphic violations of her likeness, accounting images from her social media being edited to elude to her shirt being transparent and to show semen on her face, as well as finding images of her face on the body of adult models engaging in intercourse and actresses in videos uploaded on porn sites. Also, I would like to highlight the predatory behaviour shown of these Deepfakers’ editing the likeness of underage girls into pornographic images, with Martin highlighting how men would ejaculate on images of girls and share them on porn sites, As well as identifying personal information of these young girls being published accompanying the images, such as full names’, home addresses’ and place of study of the girls. After coming out about her story to petition for law reform in late 2017, Martin was victim blamed online, being called an “attention seeking piece of trash” on social media, and without actually posting any provocative images of herself Martin was branded  a “slut” and “whore” by strangers over the internet. This reaction proves that “leaked” suggestive images don’t need to be authentic for a percentage of the public opinion to shame you and your body, and now with this technology becoming more accessible to the public, or otherwise just a small payment on a forum, This form of violating attack is going to become a more widely used as a way to shame and belittle average women and girls. Imagine that mean girl or jilted boy you rejected in high school now having the ability to spread mostly realistic images of you, nude, to your peers, you could be as careful as you want or even had never taken a nude image in the first place, but now everyone thinks they’ve seen you naked and you’re being humiliated and shamed for a doctored image that you didn’t consent to in the first place.

A figure by DEEPTRACE cataloguing the increased number of deepfakes online, which had doubled to 14,678 during 2019 comparatively to 2018. In addition to being invasive to the victims privacy and right of choice, there is a major concern of the potential increase of revenge porn cases. According to a study by the Cyber Civil Rights organisation 51% of revenge porn victims have suicidal thoughts, many will try to harm themselves or successfully commit suicide due to the harassment they endured from their bullies after their pictures are leaked. Also, in some cultures the sexualisation of a female body could result in the honour killing of the victim, whether the images are authentic or not the sexual connotations of the images would bring “shame” on the family, and therefor be putting the victim in genuine (life threatening) danger.

We live in a world were the female form is subjected to harassment and given less respect than our male piers, and with deepfake technology our sexualisation can be weaponised, putting our lives and careers at risk by what is seen as a joke or harmless compliment to others. We need to form laws to regulate the use of deepfake technology, and put in place clear laws punishing the predators creating the images and prohibiting businesses from firing victims. 

Resources if you’re being threatened with revenge porn. https://revengepornhelpline.org.uk/

"We always encourage people to take screenshots of what you've found, where it's been shared," Rebecca Sharp

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Is it okay to be alone, should I keep toxic friendships to not be friendless

There is an assumption that if you don’t have friends there is something wrong with you, which means that many people stay in unhealthy relationships to avoid being “friendless”.

Is it healthy to prioritise having friendships over being alone, specifically when the people in your life have become toxic? It is important for our mental health to detect co-dependent behaviour, most of our close relationships don’t start toxic, but even best friends’ of 10 years can grow in a different directions and you’re left with nothing in common other than nostalgic memories.

In my teenage years I cut ties with my group of friends from school to start a new in collage, but now I find myself holding onto friends that have become just as damaging to my happiness and mental health as the ones I left behind all those years ago.

To clarify, what do I mean by toxic friendships? Hopefully, you don’t relate to this, but most of us have found ourselves in a toxic relationship, (aka. a relationship that isn’t beneficial or healthy for you and your mental health).

Types of toxic friends to avoid,

-          The Resenter (or the Competitor), does your friend resent your successes and always have a pessimistic excuse for why you’re going to fail? friendships thrive when you both support and uplift each other. You shouldn’t let a jealous friend hold you back from living your best life, under the pretence of “realism”.

-          The Drainer (or the Narcissist), do you feel emotionally drained after hanging out with your friend? This is the one sided friendship where you’re constantly supporting and working through your friend’s troubles, but they have no interest in you or your life. A friendship should be two sided, and chances are the drainer doesn’t respect your friendship.

-          The Negative one (or the energy vampire), we are our surroundings. If we surround ourselves with negative people, then we become negative people. Babies learn by mimicking actions, and as adults we mirror each other’s emotional ques while building conversation, so if your friend is being negative about your positive situation, you’ll question your positive emotions until you’ve been dragged down to their level.

Toxic friends can feel like a drain on your energy, but toxic friendships can also take years off your life. A 2005 study from the Australian Longitudinal study of Aging discovered that people with more friends outlived those with fewer friends 22% of the time, with researchers equating having fewer or unhealthy friendships to smoking 15 cigarettes a day in relation to your life expectancy. So, why not slowly back away and work on self-love? maybe take up yoga. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you’re in a toxic friendship, or if you’ve just got a “love hate” type relationship.

Are you just going through a rough patch?

When should you support your friend instead of braking up? Some toxic behaviours could be situational, here are a few examples that you might need to distance yourself rather than cut-ties completely.

-          A bad relationship: A bad relationship can engulf us, have you noticed since your friend’s been in a new relationship, she’s started acting like a bit off? Maybe she’s just in an unhappy relationship, and projecting her feelings onto you, or maybe she’s developed new traits in that relationship that you don’t jell with? It’s okay to grow apart and move onto friendships that bring out your shine, alternatively, cross fingers that they’ll brake up soon. 

(it’s important to support our loved ones if they are in a dangerous situation, if you think your friend if in an abusive relationship you can find support at Women’s aid  or Refuge. But it’s not your responsibility to put yourself in danger, and you can be more help supporting them from a far.)

-          New friends: Your friend has found themselves in an exciting new friendship with someone you don’t jell with, and your friend is slowly merging into their clone. People grow apart, that’s natural, it’s time to evolve your relationship. It’s okay to grow apart.

-          Toxic work environment or stress in the family: We are all guilty of projecting our frustrations on to the ones we love, maybe they just need time to vent (But remember, don’t excuse abusive behaviour. Get help or get out if you’re relationship has become unsafe or damaging to your mental health.)

It’s completely valid and healthy to take a little brake from a friendship if you feel like you need time to breath.

 Try incorporating some of these tips into your friendship to build barriers,

- Spending less time together; you’re entitled to your space, and time alone is beneficial for your mental health, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

- Saying no to that weekly drink; if you have a weekly or monthly ritual on the calendar you’re allowed to say no, no excuse needed, just a “I’m not feeling it.”

- Minimise conversation time; rather than being in constant contact, build barriers and personal boundaries, even if you need to put them on mute for a while.

If none of that applies or you need to double check, here’s a few examples of when enough is enough and it’s time to cut ties.

Signs that you are in a toxic friendship,

Well, firstly, I assume if you’ve read this far, you probably at least subconsciously know your answer. But, just to confirm your suspicions here’s a couple of warning signs to look out for.

-          Does your heart sink when they’ve messaged you?

-          Are you anxious or questioning spending time with them?

-          Do you feel lesser or degraded whenever you’re with them?

-          Is there a long term pattern of toxic behaviour?

-          Do they support your successes or invalidate your feelings?

 Are you staying in the relationship because of your history together?

We all love to reminisce on nostalgic memories, but the past is the past, and are those people the same people that are going to support you now, or go to “that” event with you next month and build positive memories going forward?

Even if everyone around you is endorsing their behaviour, you know in your heart that this situation isn’t making you your best self, Maybe it’s time to take a little brake and evaluate how you feel without them.

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LONDON, travel tips, Camden market

My top ‘need to go’ place every time I visit London is Camden market, partially because of the shops, but mostly because of the food!

I had a Seitan vegan burger from the V-burger stand, and a vegan Lotus biscuit cookie dough scoop from Naked dough, for all those Vegans craving junk food. 

Top Camden market suggestions:

Cyberdog, just visually, even if it’s not your style you need to go. Just keep an eye out for the 20ft tall giant metallic robots guarding the entrance. (not the 20ft tall wooden gentleman, the other one)

My personal need to go spot, other than for food, is to the Moomins shop. There is one in Covent gardens too, But now there’s one in Camden by the Docs store, and I live for it. My Moomin merch collection is growing    

By the bridge on the High street, the Chinese restaurant has a stall outside that sells beverages and food, I had the vegetable dumplings and they’re everything.  

Plenty of vintage shops to browse through, some not too expensive ones too if you’re willing to rummage in the underground stalls.

I also love and am emotionally partial to a Cereal killers café, the Camden location is really nice and I love to sit in the Bus seats.

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LONDON, travel tips, Coppa Club on the Themes

My travel buddy and I had Breakfast at the Coppa Club on the Themes, It was such a beautiful location, AND will be the first place we go when we go back.

We were almost late Because we jumped on the wrong train, but our little legs were GOING to get us there. And luckily we didn’t end up being that late, and they were super laid back.

It just happened to be a sunny day too, which was perfect, I loved the domes seating where you could look over the river (Maybe... not the best for tall people, But our tiny hobbit bodies fit perfectly, and I only counted 3 head bashes between us)

We had some tea for starters, which was honestly lovely enough.

But because we were treating ourselves, so we both got a full breakfast and I got berry pancakes, which… were the best things I’ve ever tasted…The moment I put the first piece in my mouth, I stopped, and reflected on how I’m never going to taste anything better than that ever again, and I was sad about it. Mixed emotions.

This was our third day in a row getting pancakes and it was WORTH IT! I was already full from my veggie breakfast, but I fully forced those pancakes into by body, because no man left behind.

weird tip: V actually means veggie not vegan, cos… they gave me an egg. But I’m not vegan so I didn't mind.

You book per person, so we had a small table in a share dome, but they do have larger party options if you, unlike me, have friends

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LONDON, travel tips, Peggy Porschen cafe

We made time to pop into the Peggy Porschen café in Chealsea, for more tea and a overly decorative toasted snack. We also left with a cupcake, which was my ‘Birthday’ cake.

It’s really lovely in the café, Just give it a google and you’ll see. 

We visited at the beginning of pollen season, so I had to take an extended bathroom brake where I coughed my make up off. Alternatively, the bathrooms were STUNNING! Also, downstairs, if you’re struggling to find it.

Top tips for your trip

 If you’re Getting actual food and not just a cake, get a beverage, it might take a while, although it might have been because they had a Hen party downstairs to cook for and they were busy

You can book for events there!

They have a take away cupcake section by the entrance, with so many options if you don’t want to sit in!

Also, Chelsea is also a beautiful part of London to walk through on your way there. I’m not going to say I specifically wore pink to go to this café, But I might have worn pink to go to this café.

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LONDON, Top travel tips, and blog

I planned a Birthday trip for me and my friend.

His Birthday was on the 25th and mine is the 27th of February, so we took a Monday to Friday trip, skipping all the tourism rush. Luckily for me, my friend missed two of his buses, so he ended up catching the train with me and we played cards all the way.

Sadly, I don't have any tips for cheaper train fair, other than buying it a few months before your trip. Although, to cut costs, we browsed through Air B&B, We got a really cute Air B&B in Canary Warf, about 10 minutes away from the main train station, and five away from the overground.

Top tips for travelling in London If you're going for the first time, or you're looking for any necessities to make your trip a little easier.

Always get an Oyster card, (the week tickets will stop working after a day, and you’ll need to get your friend to find a ticket person to let you through, trust) For a week ticket, it’s around £60, but honestly a lifesaver, London is so big and you’ll need it to get anywhere.

Bonus tips

We got off in Paddington, so you can get them downstairs, take the elevators under the shops, Also an extra tip, There’s a Wasabi sushi take away by the entrance downstairs, and it’s a dream. 

You can get an app for the underground. There’s one called ‘tube map’ which is just a map of the underground, but so helpful, especially If it's too busy to get a good look at the maps on the trains, or like me, your eyes can't see that far anyway.

IMPORTANT, There usually isn’t WIFI in the underground, so make sure you know where you’re going before you go downstairs if you’re a Google maps girl like me.

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Why we need to change our mental health system

I spent 22 years filling my brain with knowledge and character, but after 3 months of antidepression medication I can barely remember people’s names.

There are several different brands of antidepressants, which help with different illnesses and chemical imbalances. Although, with in the UK the protocol is that your GP will start you on Setraline, and if that doesn’t work they’ll give you a higher dose Setraline tablet before trialling you on different drugs until you find one that works for you. 

The process begins with your GP conducting a prewritten questioner, rather than a session with a licensed phycologist, your doctor, (who most likely doesn’t know how the drugs effect your body) will decide whether to and which pills to give you until one seems to work.My experience was, on Setraline, other than becoming physically unwell and suffering from a gastro reaction (giving me throat pain and 2 months of coughing) my brain got heavy brain fog, in theory to dampen my anxiety, but in reality, it raised my anxious feelings due to my now lack of though processing abilities, leaving me with almost no memory of the events over the period I took the pills, including my twenty-third Birthday.

The second drug I took was Duloxetine Mytlan, decided mostly because It had a gastro coating that would give me a lower chance of having a physically reaction while taking them. I was still feeling the lingering effect of having basic memory loss from the last couple of months on Setraline, with the new side effect of paranoid psychosis, which started light examples of hallucinations.

At this point I decided to stop taking antidepressant drugs, but my brain is still struggling to process thought and recalling basic memories, for example, asking my boyfriend how old I am, as well as my heightened irritability being back to her usual self. In conclusion, the people around me definitely preferred the difference in mood while on the pills, but I was left less than human, unable to feel safe conducting simple task such as cooking or crossing the road, because my ability to formulate simple tasks had been taken away.There might be a drug that can help me, but the current process of taking different drugs until one works is unsafe and, in my case, taking the gamble did more harm than good.