Restless: How Restless Provides Safe Platforms For Women
(Logo courtesy of Restless)
They are a handful of times in life when I am speechless. Hearing Olivia Deramus's story was one of those times. I quietly listened to her powerful story and was in awe of her strength, passion, and kindness. Deramus started Restless to create a safe place for women to discuss any topic. Restless includes social media platforms, a website, and a newly launched app. I had the opportunity to interview her and learn more about her story.
(Image courtesy of Restless. Image of Olivia Deramus)
1.How did Restless come about?
I was sexually assaulted during my freshman year of college at an American University. I reported my assault to my university and was found in the right twice after two separate hearings. Despite being found in the right, my assaulter ended up suing me for defamation. Due to the legal proceedings, I could not discuss the case with family or friends. I kept waiting for the court to protect me and acknowledge that the truth was on my side. I was wrong.
The lack of protection from the legal system is an unfortunately common occurrence among sexual assault survivors. I realized that I was not going to find healing through my legal proceedings. Instead, I realized that I wanted to create a platform for women to discover each other's stories and voices. I wanted to provide the resources that I was struggling to find at the time. At the launch of Restless, the brand consisted of a website and an Instagram account. We did not have a big business plan. In the beginning, I wasn't thinking about an app at all. I just wanted to express myself and help women navigate through the same problems I was experiencing. I was amazed when Restless began to pick up steam. As my legal battle came to an end, I had the opportunity to reflect on my life's purpose.
(Image courtesy of Restless)
2. How have your education and previous experiences helped you create this platform?
I graduated from a British University majoring in International Relations. My life's passion is non-profit work. Before creating Restless, my volunteer experience allowed me to witness firsthand the limitations non-profits face. Non-profits' innovative efforts are constricted by a lack of funds, resulting in the need for donations. Before Restless, I helped people fundraise for non-profits. Based on my experiences in the non-profit realm, I decided that Restless would be a for-profit business that would allow the brand not to be limited by financial constraints. Once Restless became for-profit, we expanded our reach through the creation of the Restless App. The App allows us to venture into the tech industry and access a steady stream of innovation. As a tech outsider, I was amazed by our team's ability to create a digital world—the App facilitates conversations for women to find support, help, and resources.
(Video courtesy of Restless)
3.How does the Restless App allow people to talk about these topics?
Mainstream social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter dominate our lives. During the 2020 election, society saw the power of social media, especially on Twitter. These social media platforms can feel similar to the free-wheeling wild west. The lack of regulation benefits society but comes at a price. These platforms are home to trolling, harassment, and negativity. Restless allows its members to have a warm, nurturing environment. Overall, Restless's platforms allow women to talk about women's issues. Restless provides a safe place to talk about tough topics, including sexual assault, relationship advice, the pay gap, etc. Restless becomes the home to thousands of women who are ready to impart their wisdom with you.
To ensure the safety of app users, the users need to be verified before interacting with other users or seeing sections such as the #MeToo section. A potential user can not put in a random email. Instead, they would either need to give the App a form of ID or a photo-matching option. The photo-matching option allows people without passports, driver licenses old or access IDs to access this platform. The photo-matching works as the following: Restless sends an email with a code, and then the person trying to become a member will take a selfie of themselves holding the code or show a photo that matches their profile picture. The App has a multi-level security strategy used to protect users. This strategy is implemented through community monitors and an easy-to-use reporting system. Our staff constantly monitor what is happening on the App.
(Image courtesy of Restless)
4.What advice would you give your sixteen-year-old self today?
I wasn't a very popular person in high school. I was an outsider. I paid too much attention to what other people thought, and I should have paid more attention to what would make me happy and to trust that if I pursued that, then everything would be okay. Now, I'm very comfortable with being an outsider and consider it a strength.
(Image courtesy of Restless)
5.How much is it for your App?
The App is free.
