Over the past few years, Cathy Pedrayes has been sharing little white lies that can keep people safe in various situations with strangers
Cathy Pedrayes, also known as the “Mom Friend,” is an author, television host and bilingual social media influencer. After she started sharing safety tips on TikTok, her comments section became flooded with replies saying she must be “the mom friend of the group,” so ever since then, she’s proudly claimed the title.
“With her signature blue dress and pearls, Cathy's content includes safety life hacks, tech and cyber security,” Pedrayes’ site explains. “Her content is inspired by city living, traveling, her Latina roots and her experiences being a new mom.”
We reached out to Cathy via email to hear more about the background of this video series, and lucky for us, she was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. “The series is based on training I received while working as a host on national TV (I was a QVC host),” the Mom Friend shared.
“We were told that in public we might be approached if someone recognized us, and sometimes people are excited to see you're in their neighborhood. So they might ask questions like, ‘Do you live around here?’ or, ‘Is this your regular grocery store?’” Cathy explained. “We were taught to respond in a way that was friendly without giving away our personal details, since there was a long history of harassment and stalking amongst my colleagues.”
“For the most part, I had forgotten about this training until 2020. I was at a grocery store, and a clerk asked if I lived in the neighborhood,” the Mom Friend continued. “He was suggesting things to do in the neighborhood– I'm sure it was a completely innocent question, but all of a sudden my old training came rushing back and that scenario was in my first video.”
Cathy shared that the series began with things that had happened to her personally, and since then, she’s shared over 60 videos including her life experiences, as well as requests and inspiration from others. But she doesn’t expect to run out of content any time soon. “I thought I might run out of ideas in 2020 when I created the first version of the video, but 3 years later we're still going,” the Mom Friend says.
We also asked Cathy why it’s so important for women to know that they can bend the truth in situations like these. “Sometimes we just need permission,” she told Bored Panda. “What's great about this series is that everyone has experienced these scenarios and in the moment been caught off-guard about how to respond. The series arms you with quick responses, so that you're not caught off-guard. It's about awareness, preparation and permission.”
Cathy also says she wears her "Mom Friend" medal proudly. “I love being the prepared friend, the reliable one that people can turn to, and I think everyone needs someone like that. The downside for me is that I have no idea what it feels like to travel light!” she shared with a smile.
While it may seem completely normal to share personal information on social media and in casual conversations nowadays, we might be unintentionally putting ourselves at risk all the time. One of the dangers that can come from revealing too much about ourselves to strangers is the risk of identity theft. Identity theft occurs every 22 seconds, the National Council on Identity Theft Protection reports, and a third of all Americans will face some form of identity theft during their lifetimes.
