Aby

As women turn to digital tools for health, a key challenge of trust emerges. Without clear, legible signals of credibility, users must self-judge what advice to follow, what to ignore, and when to seek professional care. This highlights the need for digital health systems that guide judgement, apart from delivering information.

How She Uses the Phone 

Aby is 27 and lives in an urban neighbourhood in Senegal with her husband and two young children. She is the eldest child in her family. Growing up, there was one shared phone in the household, owned by her parents and used mainly for calls. Aby was allowed to use it occasionally and became curious about how it worked.

When she was in middle school, Aby asked for her own phone. Her father told her she could have one if she passed the national exam (Brevet de Fin d’Études Moyennes). She did, and receiving her first phone felt like recognition.

By the time she finished school, using a smartphone felt natural.

Before marriage, Aby was physically active and played sports regularly. After having her first child, her life narrowed. She became ill for several months, spent time in and out of hospital, and even after recovery felt weak and out of shape. Around this time, a close friend from school moved nearby. They began meeting often, and the friend shared short TikTok videos about diet, home exercises, and recovery after childbirth. The routines looked manageable. ​“They were things I could do inside,” Aby says. ​“Not like going to the gym.”

Gradually, Aby began trying them. She joined a Facebook group for young mothers focused on fitness and wellbeing. Most of the women shared videos, voice notes, and personal stories. Aby reads carefully and sometimes reacts, but rarely posts. She worries about saying the wrong thing or following advice that might not be right for her body. ​“Sometimes I ask myself, is this really correct?” she says. ​“Or is it just someone talking?”

Health-related searches have become part of her daily life. When one of her children has any symptoms, or when she herself feels unwell, Aby searches online to understand what might be happening. She finds reassurance in knowing what is common and what might be serious, but the information is not always consistent. ​“You can see ten answers for one problem,” she explains. ​“Then you start doubting.”

This uncertainty often surfaces at home. Her husband is wary of how much she relies on online advice. He worries that she might delay proper care or try something unsuitable. They have argued about home remedies and exercises shared online. Recently, when one of their children fell sick, he insisted on going straight to a doctor. Aby did not resist, but the tension stayed. ​“I use my phone to understand,” she says. ​“But sometimes I’m not sure how far is too far.”

Her Ecosystem of Learning and Facilitation 

Aby is confident navigating her phone and usually learns by exploring on her own.

She tried it cautiously. At first, she was unsure what kind of questions were safe to ask. She had seen videos warning that AI tools collect information or ​“listen too much.” ​“I don’t really know how it works,” she admits. ​“That makes me careful.”

She now uses AI only for general questions, exercise ideas, food suggestions, explanations of terms she doesn’t understand. She avoids sharing personal details and does not treat responses as instructions. Still, she sometimes wonders whether she is trusting it more than she should. ​“It helps me think,” she says. ​“But I still ask myself, should I believe this?”