The world is a wonderful place with lots of amazing people, but sadly, there is a dark side to it. It can get really dangerous when you meet people with some bad intentions. So it is always smart to be aware of your surroundings and just be cautious.
It’s no secret that this applies more to women than men. And there are a few things that are useful to keep in mind. TikToker @spencer.barbosa shared some safety tips that might come in handy one day, not that anyone would want that day to come.
TikToker Spencer Barbosa shared some personal safety tips which are primarily targeted at women, but are useful to know for everyone, and the videos got millions of views
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
Spencer is a an 18-year-old content creator, entrepreneur, and actress. She has 3.5 million followers on TikTok, 339k followers on Instagram, and she has a YouTube channel with 22k subscribers.
On her biggest platform, TikTok, Spencer shares life hacks, personal thoughts, clothing hauls, and creates inspirational content to motivate other people to reach for their dream lives. Her videos rack up views easily and she goes viral regularly, reaching over a million views per video.
If someone doesn't leave you alone or is trying to abduct you, try to attract people's attention to you and scare the attacker by going insane
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
Most of Spencer’s videos are lighthearted and fun, but there are some more serious ones. Among these are a few videos about women’s safety.
The TikToker starts off by saying that her heart is aching that these types of videos are necessary, but they might potentially save someone’s life. She mentions that the majority of her followers are female and she wants them to be safe.
Don't put your hair in a ponytail if you're going for a run alone
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
If you can't carry pepper spray, buy bear spray or hairspray and aim at the eyes
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
The first tip she gives is that if you ever feel followed, someone is touching you and not leaving you alone, or even is trying to abduct you, then you should make sure everyone knows about it and draw everyone’s attention to what is happening. Spencer suggests screaming, barking, biting, and just going as crazy as you can.
The second tip is for those who like to go running. If you’re doing it alone, you should be aware of how you tie your hair, because if you like the comfortable and effortless hairstyle of a ponytail, then you should reconsider it. As Spencer explains, it is very easy for someone to grab you by the hair and drag you.
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
Spencer lives in Canada and it appears that you can’t have pepper spray on you there. But you can carry bear spray. And if you’re not Canadian and it’s the first time you are hearing about bear spray, or you also live in a country where pepper spray is also illegal or hard to find, Spencer’s advice is to use hairspray instead and aim for the attacker’s eyes.
This video got 1.3 million views and more than 430k people liked it. People in the comments were saying that these tips are actually useful, but that it is sad that women have to go through this. Spencer mentioned that she will be doing more of these videos so that her followers can keep themselves safe.
More attacks happen in stairwells at night, so better use the elevator
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
Keep your car keys on your nightstand so they're easily accessible at night
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
After a while, Spencer returned to the personal safety tips and made two more videos. One of them has 4.9 million views and the other, 3.6 million. So it seems that this topic is really relevant and millions of people find the videos useful.
So, another life-saving tip is to choose an elevator instead of stairs if you’re alone at night, because according to Spencer, more attacks happen in the stairwell. Another thing to consider is where you keep your car keys. If you’re keeping them at the front door, it’s worth moving them to your nightstand. Then if something happens at night, you can grab them and press the panic button to set your car's alarm off.
Don't share that you're alone and what's your location to everyone on social media
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
If you feel like someone's following you, show them your face and take a look at theirs
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
An important one is to never post your location on social media. Strangers don’t need to know where you are. It is wild, but Spencer claims that she sees a lot of young girls saying that they’re alone. There are people who will take advantage of that so just think twice before posting something.
Here's an interesting fact: rapists find their targets less attractive after they've seen their face. So if you feel like someone is following you, turn your head to show your face. And in the meantime, remember theirs.
Don't be alone in the dark where you can't see your surroundings
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
Don't make yourself more vulnerable by being on your phone when you're walking alone
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
A lot of these tips have to do with people being alone. You just have to be super cautious and aware of your surroundings. For example, if it’s dark, then you should avoid going out alone. And it could be dangerous to text as you will be more vulnerable and will be less likely to notice if someone gets too close for comfort. But if the worst happens and someone wants to take you, the girl encourages you not to worry about being kind and just smack with all your might with your elbow.
Trick people into thinking that a man lives with you by putting big worn shoes outside
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
If someone is grabbing you, concentrate all your energy into smacking them with your elbow
Image credits: spencer.barbosa
At the beginning of the year, a video went viral of a girl finding ‘1F’ written on her snowy garbage can. TikTok users were convinced that someone marked for themselves that one female is living in that house so that they maybe could go back at night. It’s really creepy that you can’t even feel safe in your own house.
Spencer has a tactic for that: go to a thrift store and buy a huge pair of men’s boots or ask someone you know who has some to spare. Make them look dirty and used and put them in front of your house. It will create an illusion that a big man is living in the house and hopefully it should discourage any invaders.
What do you think of these tips? Have you ever had to use any of these? Also, share your tips in the comments so more people will know how to protect themselves!
The TikToker got very much love for posting the videos, with almost all of the reactions being very positive
