Kenyan digital creator Naomi Kuria has opened up about some of the uncomfortable and unusual messages she has received from people through social media.
Speaking during an interview with Alex Mwakideu, Kuria recalled receiving unsolicited intimate images from people, including some individuals she said were known to her.
“I used to get a lot of that, which was very disrespectful.”
Kuria said the messages were not limited to strangers. She claimed that some people would first engage her in an ordinary conversation before sending inappropriate material without her asking for it.
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She described the experience as upsetting and said she was relieved when Instagram introduced features that allow users to control whether certain images or videos are viewed.
Instagram’s message controls
Kuria said the feature gave users more control over potentially unwanted content sent through direct messages.
Instead of immediately displaying certain media, the platform can place it behind a warning, allowing the recipient to decide whether to open it.
For Kuria, the change was particularly helpful because of the volume of unwanted material she said she had previously encountered.
“I was so happy when Instagram brought this feature.”
She also declined to identify any of the people she claimed had sent her such messages, maintaining that she would not mention names publicly.
Some messages came from known people.
During the interview, Mwakideu asked whether some of the people involved were known personalities.
Kuria confirmed that some were known to her but chose not to reveal their identities.
She also spoke about people who approach her through social media with what she described as elaborate proposals for meetings.
According to Kuria, some individuals would move quickly from greetings to suggesting meetings and even providing details about destinations and payments.
“Then they’re like giving you an itinerary. Meet in Dubai.”
She said some of these encounters left her uncomfortable and overwhelmed, particularly when people crossed boundaries without considering how their actions might affect her.
Manager now handles her DMs
Kuria revealed that she has since stopped personally going through her social media direct messages.
She said her manager now monitors her DMs, a decision she made after dealing with the volume and nature of messages she received.
“I stopped looking at my DMs right now. My manager looks at my DMs right now.”
Kuria joked that she pays her manager a “hardship allowance” for handling the messages.
