This article references suicide.
Adele Zeynep Walton, a journalist and campaigner, had no reason to mistrust the digital world until her sister Aimee died, after being drawn into a toxic, ‘pro-suicide’ online forum. She has since devoted much of her work to raising awareness of online harm, as well as calling on people in power to do more to protect vulnerable people online.
In September, Adele spoke at Refuge UK’s Tech Safety Summit – alongside Baroness Charlotte Owen and GLAMOUR’s Purpose Editor, Lucy Morgan – about the need for society, designers, tech platforms, and legislators to prioritise people’s safety over profits.
Here, she shares what she’s learned from her campaigning journey so far…
“I’ve been immersed in the digital world ever since I can remember,” says Adele Zeynep Walton, ahead of Refuge’s Tech Safety Summit in September earlier this year. “Some of my fondest memories as a child involve playing with my sister Aimee on our digital devices, from PS1 to Nintendo Wii, to Xbox 360.
“Until 2022, I had a fairly optimistic view of social media platforms and their impacts on society.”
In 2022, Adele’s sister Aimee died. “Like most 21-year-olds today, my sister Aimee grew up spending a huge part of her life online,” Adele reflects. “Her love for the music of Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D and her vast collection of rare merch meant she delved into a part of the internet reserved for superfans like her.”
Aimee initially found “connections and community” online, but that changed when she started struggling with her mental health. “She became drawn into online spaces that isolated her,” Adele explains, including a “toxic forum that encourages and assists people in taking their lives.”
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