The Autistic Philosopher

As women, we are taught from an early age to be on guard. To clutch our keys in our fists when walking home at night. To avoid certain streets. To check the backseat of the car. To dress “appropriately.” To let someone know when we get home safe.

Every nation is divided by lines—some straight, some jagged, some violently contested, others accepted out of exhausted habit. These are borders: artificially drawn boundaries that dictate where people may and may not exist, move, work, or even survive. They are often relics of colonialism, war, or power games. No baby is born with a flag. Yet that flag will determine whether that child will grow up with clean water, access to education, or even the right to stay alive.

Streaks are not just harmless reminders; they are carefully crafted behavioral hooks designed to exploit the psychology of commitment and loss aversion. What starts as “just keeping up” with a learning app or a social media platform can quickly become a chain of invisible obligations. Instead of serving you, these apps train you to serve them.