Freya and her Digital Self

For Madoc, who asks many questions and turns the ordinary into adventures, and Alex, who finds logic in chaos.

1

Freya was glued to her touchscreen tablet. She used it all the time - before school, after school, on weekends, and even on holidays.

3

She played games, watched videos, and even did her homework on it. Her cat, Sim, often sat beside her, trying to catch the moving images on the screen.

5

She was inseparable from her tablet when she was alone and when she was playing with her friends. She used the password to protect her data on her tablet, but she was generous with it if anyone needed it:

"Hey Freya, what's your tablet's password?" asked her friend Mick one day. "I want to show you this awesome game I found!"

"It's 'Sim1'," Freya replied with a smile.

7

But suddenly, something weird happened. Freya tried to log into her tablet on day, but it just wouldn't budge. She typed in 'Sim1' over and over, but no luck.

She even tried the old turn-it-offand-on-again trick, but her tablet was having none of it.

9

"Maybe I need to eat a cake and try again," she thought, munching on a piece of carrot cake. But even that didn't work.

"I guess it's broken. Time for a trip to the repair shop," she sighed.

11

As she walked out of her house, she tripped on the stairs and tumbled down with Sim right behind her. When she looked around, she found herself in a dark room filled with computers and a large cupboard with blinking lights. Her tablet lay on the ground, its screen cracked like a spiderweb.

13

Suddenly, a ghostly figure appeared. It looked just like her!

"Hi," Freya said nervously. "Where am I? And who are you?”

"Hi," the ghostly girl replied.

"I'm Freya. I live here in the Phantom Cipher's lodge." ”Who is Phantom Cipher? And why do you have my name and look like me?"

Freya exclaimed.

16

"It's simple," the ghostly Freya explained with a grin. "I'm your digital version.

You've been spending so much time on your tablet and sharing your password, so Phantom Cipher grabbed all your data and created me. Kids who aren't careful with their passwords get their own digital copies here on this server." She pointed at the cupboard.

"You can't be me! I'm me!" Freya protested.

"Not anymore," said Digital Freya. "Don't worry, I'll live your life for you. I'll play your games, chat with your friends. You won't be needed anymore."

17

"What will happen to me then?" Freya asked, her voice trembling.

"Not much," digital Freya replied. "You'll just become invisible and fade away. It's better this way. I have to go now.

I've got games to play, and you should rest."

With a snap of her fingers, she vanished.

18

"Wait, no!" Freya cried out.

She looked around and noticed that she was back in her room. Freya was panicking. "What does she mean she'll live my life? I want to live my own life! Oh no, my hand is starting to fade away. Am I really going to disappear?"

21

She burst into tears.

Suddenly, she heard a voice. "I wouldn't get that upset if I were you."

Freya looked around. "Is this some sick joke? Who's talking to me?"

23

"It's me, Sim. I'm talking to you," the voice said.

Freya jumped ending up at the top of the bookshelves. "What? First, I'm fading away, and now my cat talks? I had no idea you can talk!"

"Sorry," Sim said. "I didn't mean to scare you.

All cats can talk; we just usually don't. But you're in trouble, and I thought I could help."

"How can you help?" Freya asked.

"Well, that girl wasn't entirely truthful," Sim explained. "She's just like you right now, but you can change.

25

You can learn new things and become a different person, a different you.

She won't be able to copy you again if you spend more time reading books, going to museums, and less time on your tablet.

And, if you don’t mind me tell you so, you should really change your password. 'Sim1' is way too easy to guess."

26

Freya's eyes widened. "You're right! I can change! I won't fade away; she will!"

"Exactly," Sim purred. "Now, where are your books? And can we go to the museum together?"

"Of course, we can," Freya said with a smile. "I'm going to learn new things, spend less time on my tablet, and keep my password a secret."

27

From that day on, Freya changed.

She explored the world beyond her screen, discovering the wonders of books, the mysteries of museums, and the joy of outdoor adventures.

She became more curious, more creative, and more confident. Her tablet was no longer her whole world; it was just a part of her much bigger, much more exciting life.

29

And as for the Digital Freya? Well, she couldn't keep up with the real Freya's ever-changing interests and growing imagination. In the end, it was the digital copy that faded away, not the real Freya.

31

Freya discovered that by trying new things and being brave, she could create her own adventures.

33

She didn't need her tablet for everything anymore, though she still enjoyed playing games from time to time.

35

Acknowledgements This book is based on research published by my co-author, Dr Karen Renaud (Reader in Computer Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde, https://karenrenaud.com/) and her research collaborators, who studied children behaviour in relation to technology, password setting and password sharing for many years. I am grateful to Karen for her work, which inspired this book and helped me to provide advice to my son on cyber security.

36

Written and illustrated by Professor Ganna Pogrebna Behavioural Data Science Press 2024 Sydney ISBN 978-0-6452760-9-1