Akancha Child Rescue Archives - Akancha Srivastava Foundation

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ABOUT ‘AKANCHA SRIVASTAVA FOUNDATION’

The Akancha Srivastava Foundation is India’s leading social impact initiative dedicated to advancing cyber safety awareness and education. Established in February 2017, this not-for-profit Section 8 organization is a trusted voice in promoting safe online practices across the nation.

Distinguished Board of Advisors
Guided by an honorary advisory board of esteemed leaders:

Former Special DGP RK Vij (Chhattisgarh Police)
ADG Navniet Sekera (Uttar Pradesh Police)
ADG Krishna Prakash (Maharashtra Police)
Dr. Poonam Verma (Principal, SSCBS, Delhi University)

Our Mission
The Foundation is committed to educating, empowering, and building bridges between the public and authorities on critical cyber safety issues. Additionally, we specialize in forensics training for law enforcement, equipping them with the skills needed to tackle cybercrime effectively.

The post 🚨 Beware of Child Grooming! Protect Your Kids Now! 🚨 appeared first on Akancha Srivastava Foundation.

REJECT THAT GIFT! #AAH

Akancha Srivastava — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 04:25:00 +0000

REJECT THAT GIFT! #AAH

We love gifts, we love being celebrated. I was away on my birthday this year, when I got back there were so many gifts waiting for me and it instantly made me feel so happy, celebrated, loved. I quickly opened each one and carefully checked the senders for all. Checked out, every single one from people I knew. Cos if there was any from someone I didn’t recognize, I would immediately report & trash it.

Lets understand why. Many reasons but lets explore top few.

There’s a new scam where criminals are sending these gifts anonymously, sometimes even packaged in reputed online store packaging. There is a whole video on my channel explaining how our data is being leaked by various sources whether our watchmen, online store employees, warehouse workers and others.

These criminals zero in on most vulnerable victims and send these gifts. When you receive them, you are happy & curious to know the sender. There will be a QR code inside the box & a message asking you to scan that code to reveal your mystery admirer.

If you fall for this trap and scan the code or that code takes you to another link which you click, it could very well be tata, okay, bye bye to your information, bank accounts, loss of reputation, social profiles…everything awful you can think of.

It could also be physically dangerous to accept unexpected gifts. Someone could send you life threatening stuff that might explode, poison, we just don’t know.

Additionally, if the delivery person behaves annoyed and says that if you don’t accept the gift, he will generate an OTP that will be sent to you which is needed by him. Under any circumstances, do not do so. Again, same threats. Clearly refuse and tell him he can do as he likes, close the door immediately. You can speak to customer service of the online site if package displays one and share your concern.

Remember that not every gift is good news.

Stay Aware, Stay Safe.

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!

CONTACT US:

Website: www.AkanchaSrivastava.Org

Twitter: @AkanchaS

Instagram: @akanchas

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ABOUT ‘AKANCHA SRIVASTAVA FOUNDATION’

‘Akancha Srivastava Foundation’ leads India’s largest social impact initiative for cyber safety. It was founded in February 2017. It’s a not-for-profit Section 8 organization.

Honorary Board of Advisors

Foundation’s advisory board hosts – Former Special DGP RK Vij (Chattisgarh), ADG Navniet Sekera (Uttar Pradesh), ADG Krishna Prakash (Maharashtra), Dr Poonam Verma (Principal- SSCBS, Delhi University)

Mission of the Foundation

The initiative aims at Education, Empowerment & Bridging of general population with the authorities on matters of cyber safety. Foundation also conducts forensics training for law enforcement.

The post REJECT THAT GIFT! #AAH appeared first on Akancha Srivastava Foundation.

TEACH KIDS TO LIE! #AAH

Akancha Srivastava — Sat, 12 Oct 2024 14:08:01 +0000

TEACH KIDS TO LIE! #AAH

Yes, teach your children to lie! For their own safety.

If anyone unknown asks your children online if their parents are home- answer should always be a RESOUNDING YES!! Infact my mom is always in the same room. Yes my parents have my passwords- responses should be standard. Nobody can know child is home alone.

If they are waiting for you to pick up outside a coaching class, sports center- ideally ask them to wait inside a building and come outside only when you arrive. If they are going into a building for a class/ tuition teach them to just say- oh my mom is waiting upstairs or my uncle lives here he’s waiting at the lift upstairs.

If kids are playing at a park and a stranger approach to ask if they are alone, teach them to say- no my parents are right here, even wave to someone else randomly and say they are my parents. If they feel uncomfortable shout loud that they are not my dad, not my mom!! If someone tries to befriend them at a mall, same loud behavior.

Also teach them to be wary of adults asking children for help. Adults should ideally not be asking a small child for help- can you help me to my car, can you take this to my doorstep please. Response- No, my mom is right there waiting and RUN!

It’s okay to speak lies and bringing back to my mantra for child safety- TEACH THEM CRITICAL THINKING. NOT EVERY ELDER IS A GOD AND NOT EVERYONE CAN BE TRUSTED JUST COS THEY ARE OLDER IN AGE.

Stay Aware, Stay Safe.

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!

CONTACT US:

Website: www.AkanchaSrivastava.Org

Twitter: @AkanchaS

Instagram: @akanchas

Facebook:

LinkedIn:

ABOUT ‘AKANCHA SRIVASTAVA FOUNDATION’

‘Akancha Srivastava Foundation’ leads India’s largest social impact initiative for cyber safety. It was founded in February 2017. It’s a not-for-profit Section 8 organization.

Honorary Board of Advisors

Mission of the Foundation

The initiative aims at Education, Empowerment & Bridging of general population with the authorities on matters of cyber safety. Foundation also conducts forensics training for law enforcement.

The post TEACH KIDS TO LIE! #AAH appeared first on Akancha Srivastava Foundation.

LG COLLEGE RESPONDS TO OUR CYBER SAFETY WORKSHOP! #AAH

Akancha Srivastava — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 13:43:21 +0000

LG COLLEGE RESPONDS TO OUR CYBER SAFETY WORKSHOP! #AAH

We recently conducted a cyber safety workshop at LG College of Economics, Mumbai. This was our third such workshop at the college, as delightful as always!

Students participated enthusiastically, shared their problems, trusted us with their queries. It was a fulfilling session for us especially when we saw that students were inspired to stand up against any odds. This young generation is extremely sharp, highly intelligent. These curious young adults need handholding, they are looking for someone to guide them in the right direction. At ‘Akancha Srivastava Foundation’, its our biggest joy to get an opportunity to show direction to our future generation.

We are thankful to the teachers & faculty of LG College of Economics, Mumbai. Look forward to visiting them again soon.

Committed to giving back to our country in every possible way.

Stay Aware, Stay Safe.

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!

CONTACT US:

Website: www.Akancha.Org

Twitter: @AkanchaS

Instagram: @akanchas

Facebook:

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ABOUT ‘AKANCHA AGAINST HARASSMENT’

‘Akancha Against Harassment’ is India’s largest social impact initiative against cyber harassment. It was founded by Miss Akancha Srivastava in February 2017. It’s a not-for-profit Section 8 organization.

Honorary Board of advisors

Goals of this initiative

The initiative aims at Education, Empowerment & Bridging of general population with the authorities.

Support of the Indian Police for the initiative

Bridging is the most unique attribute of the initiative. We have a host of over 70+ senior police officers from across the country supporting us in content & awareness drive.

This unique strength helps us address any victim complaints that come to us as well as inform people about various measures of law enforcement across the country.

The post LG COLLEGE RESPONDS TO OUR CYBER SAFETY WORKSHOP! #AAH appeared first on Akancha Srivastava Foundation.

BEWARE VIRTUAL AUTISM! #AAH

Akancha Srivastava — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:54:11 +0000

BEWARE VIRTUAL AUTISM! #AAH

Autism is a mental condition in which a person finds it difficult to communicate or form relationships with other people

“मानसिक स्‍वास्‍थ्‍य की वह दशा जिसमें व्‍यक्ति अन्‍य व्‍यक्तियों से संबंध बनाने या उनसे विचारों का आदान-प्रदान करने में कठिनाई अनुभव करता है”

What is virtual autism- Virtual autism is a condition that arises when young children below the age of two are excessively exposed to screens, resulting in ASD-like symptoms such as communication problems and behavior oddities. (https://prayatna.co.in/virtual-autism-how-to-deal-with-it/)

“Most of the time, the child receives only certain sensations (visual and / or auditory) from a virtual environment, and can not correlate these visual and auditory sensations with other types of sensations: vestibular, tactile, odor, tasteless, unable to develop accordingly. In such a child, if they do not intervene early (before 2-3 years), these problems will become more and more acute…”- Cristiana BĂLAN, at “Spiru Haret” University, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences Braşov, Romania

This can lead to speech delay. Cognitive abilities can be affected as well, possibly leading to mental disorders. These issues can affect a child’s ability to negotiate social interactions in the same way neurotypical children might. (https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/children-virtual-autism/)

Excessive screen time can disrupt the natural developmental processes of young children, affecting their social interactions, language development, and cognitive abilities [1]. Increased screen time in young children has been associated with negative health outcomes, including decreased cognitive ability, impaired language development, mood issues, and autistic-like behavior such as hyperactivity, short attention span, and irritability

It was found that even the light-dark rhythms that help the brain produce melatonin, dopamine, and increase a child’s understanding of their relationship to themselves and others can be messed up with too much screen exposure.

These phenomena can cause children to experience screen withdrawal when they are separated from the world they have immersed themselves in for so long. They can lose their ability to sleep properly, interact with others, and can become depressed and even angry. The aggression that can accompany this can further damage their relationships, and leave them with low self esteem.

Virtual autism can also result in hyperactivity-like behaviours in affected children. Increased screen time has been associated with short attention spans and hyperactivity. Some common hyperactivity challenges experienced by children with virtual autism include:

Restlessness and difficulty sitting still.
Impulsivity and acting without considering consequences.
Difficulty following instructions and rules.
Rapidly shifting attention between tasks.
Impaired attention span and focus.
Delayed speech and language development.
Difficulties in understanding and processing information.
Challenges with problem-solving and critical thinking.
Frequent tantrums and meltdowns.
Increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli.
Agitation and frustration in response to changes or transitions.
Difficulty regulating emotions and expressing needs.

They are not situationally aware, absent minded, might have frequent injuries, falls, not paying attention to what they are doing/ walking- very dangerous

“To limit the time spent by the child in front of the TV, tablet, computer, mobile phone, parents should adhere to certain rules:

Make a daily schedule to follow with the child.
Establish rules for the use of the TV, the computer, and the phone by the child
Remove any gadget from the child’s visual contact
Offering rewards when the child respects the daily schedule
Building a special place in the house with exciting things that can be used when the child gets bored and wishes to play on the tablet. So the focus will be on something new
The TV and the computer will be closed while homework is being done
TV shows, computer games will be chosen with discernment Physical activities, walking will be of great significance

Physical activities have a major impact on the emotional development of the child. Emotional health is very important for the development of the child and can be greatly stimulated by movement. With the help of sport, the child grows physically, mentally and emotionally fulfilled. Sport stimulates interactions. With the help of it, children will learn to be patient with others, to wait for their turn, to be responsible, to respect others, to be accountable, to cope with unexpected situations, to adapt more easily. And last but not least, they will make friends of the same age with them and with similar passions.”

Getting kids’ out in the world is a good step in the right direction. Social interaction with peers, moving their bodies, playing and exploring the world in a hands-on way can boost brain development and mood. This can prevent virtual autism symptoms, as well as reduce them.

We learned above that the children who had the most effects from too much screen exposure were the ones who lacked parent-child interaction.

We must look for ways to increase our child’s movement and interaction. The more activities we do that combine movement, social skills, and sensory input the better.

Here are some suggestions of things we can do with our children:

Yoga
Puzzles
Fishing
Board games
Building blocks
Hiking
Cooking
Drawing or colouring
Visiting an aquarium or zoo
Going to the beach

Spend time with children, be observant. Any exhibit of isolation, increased irritability, inability to express should be addressed immediately.

Stay Aware, Stay Safe.

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!

(Some references are taken from online journals)

CONTACT US:

Website: www.Akancha.Org

Twitter: @AkanchaS

Instagram: @akanchas

Facebook:

LinkedIn:

ABOUT ‘AKANCHA AGAINST HARASSMENT’

Honorary Board of advisors

Goals of this initiative

The initiative aims at Education, Empowerment & Bridging of general population with the authorities.

Support of the Indian Police for the initiative

Bridging is the most unique attribute of the initiative. We have a host of over 70+ senior police officers from across the country supporting us in content & awareness drive.

This unique strength helps us address any victim complaints that come to us as well as inform people about various measures of law enforcement across the country.

The post BEWARE VIRTUAL AUTISM! #AAH appeared first on Akancha Srivastava Foundation.

SBI Foundation Comes Together To Build Cyber Safe India

Akancha Srivastava — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 04:00:02 +0000

SBI Foundation Supports Us In Building Cyber Safe India

Glad to share that SBI Foundation has come on board under their CSR Initiative for a series of workshops to be organised by ‘Akancha Srivastava Foundation’. These workshops will include Mumbai, Pune & rest of Maharashtra law enforcement.

Cyber crime investigation is a critical aspect of understand modus operandi of criminals online and finding newest & fastest ways to get to them . Our panel of highly skilled investigators will be conducting these interactive trainings where we will address cases received by different city police and exhibiting tools/techniques to close them.

SBI is the largest Indian Bank with 1/4th market share, serves over 48 crore customers through its vast network of over 22,405 branches, 65,627 ATMs/ADWMs, 76,089 BC outlets. When an institution like SBI steps forward to build a cyber secure India, its’ a turning point in the effort as it shows will of a robust brand like them to build proactive measures to give back to the country, protect their customers.

We look forward to a long term, fruitful partnership together.

Jai Hind

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Dont Follow Social Media Influencers Blindly! #AAH

Akancha Srivastava — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 04:16:42 +0000

Dont Follow Social Media Influencers Blindly! #AAH

As social media platforms become more popular, the role of social media influencers has also grown. These influencers have a large following on social media and can use this influence to manipulate their rather naïve followers.

These influencers have amassed large followers by sharing their lives online and offering advice and commentary on various topics. While many social media influencers are genuine and well-intentioned, there are also those who manipulate their followers for personal gain. With millions of blind followers on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, these influencers have a lot of power to influence their fans. But how do they do it? How do social media influencers manipulate their followers?

Commercial Interests and Bias

Many social media influencers primarily profit from sponsorships and affiliate marketing (Boerman et al., 2017). They may promote products or services for financial gain, which can compromise the authenticity and objectivity of their recommendations.

For instance, a beauty influencer endorsing a skincare product might receive a substantial payment for their endorsement, potentially influencing their judgment and leading them to promote products that may not be the best fit for their followers.

Lack of Expertise

Despite their massive followings, influencers often lack formal qualifications and expertise in the areas they promote (Tang et al., 2017). They may provide advice on complex subjects like nutrition, fitness, or investment without proper training, leading to potential misinformation and misguided decisions among their followers.

For example, taking financial advice from a fashion influencer might not yield the best results, given their lack of expertise in the field.

Selective Representation

Social media influencers meticulously curate their online personas, presenting an idealized version of their lives (Marwick and Boyd, 2011). This can create unrealistic expectations and contribute to feelings of inadequacy among their followers.

For instance, constant exposure to influencers’ luxurious lifestyles can lead to unrealistic aspirations and dissatisfaction with one’s own life.

Inauthenticity

While influencers may claim to promote authenticity, their online personas are often constructed and polished (Henderson and Bowley, 2010). This can hinder genuine connections and promote shallow relationships built on appearances.

For example, many influencers use Photoshop or filters to enhance their photos, which can create unrealistic beauty standards.

Confirmation Bias

Social media algorithms tend to expose users to content that aligns with their existing beliefs, creating filter bubbles and echo chambers (Pariser, 2011). Following influencers who share your views can further reinforce these biases and limit exposure to diverse perspectives.

For example, political influencers with particular ideologies may perpetuate one-sided narratives, leading their followers to develop skewed worldviews.

Short-Term Focus

Influencers often prioritize short-term trends and fads to maintain their popularity (Bucher et al., 2013). This can encourage impulsive spending on products or services with limited long-term value.

For instance, following a fashion influencer who frequently showcases the latest trends might lead to unnecessary spending on constantly changing wardrobe items.

Emotional Manipulation

Influencers are skilled at using emotional triggers, such as the fear of missing out (FOMO), to capture their audience’s attention (Peters et al., 2013). This can lead to impulsive actions and decisions driven by emotions rather than rational thinking.

For example, limited-time offers or exclusive deals promoted by influencers can trigger impulse purchases.

Privacy Concerns- Following influencers often requires sharing personal information and preferences with social media platforms (Turow et al., 2018). This data can be used for targeted advertising, raising privacy concerns and the risk of exploitation.

For instance, the information shared with social media platforms can be used to create highly personalized ads, potentially influencing users’ purchasing decisions.

Lack of Accountability- Social media influencers may not face significant consequences for promoting products or services that turn out to be harmful or ineffective (Neff and Nafus, 2016). This lack of accountability can leave consumers vulnerable to poor choices. For example, a health influencer promoting unverified dietary supplements may not face legal repercussions even if those supplements harm their followers.
Influence on Vulnerable Audiences – Young and impressionable audiences may be particularly susceptible to the influence of social media personalities (Fardouly et al., 2018). This can result in poor decision-making and behavior among these groups. For instance, teenagers may emulate risky behaviors endorsed by influencers without considering the potential consequences.

While social media influencers can provide entertainment, inspiration, and valuable insights, it is vital to approach their recommendations and influence with a critical mindset. People should be aware of the commercial interests, lack of expertise, and potential biases associated with influencers. To make informed decisions, individuals should seek out diverse perspectives, verify information, and prioritize their own well-being and values over the influence of social media personalities.

Please note that we have also taken references from relevant articles online

Stay Aware, Stay Safe

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!

CONTACT US:

Website: www.akanchasrivastava.org

Twitter: @AkanchaS

Instagram: @akanchas

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