Discrimination has taken different forms over the years, and those who think that in the 21st century all people are treated equally are sadly mistaken.

With so many incidents of discriminatory behaviour across South Africa and the rest of the world, our past seems to be holding the nation back in recognising that discrimination of any kind, and for any reason, is wrong, hurtful and, well, illegal.

It seems unbelievable that there are places all over the globe where people are actually afraid to go out to do their basic shopping. They are afraid because of the colour of their skin, a physical deformity or social anxiety which subjects them to discrimination, whether from the public or the people who serve them.

What is even more surprising, perhaps, is that there are examples of stores and businesses refusing to serve customers based on characteristics none of them can change.

It’s one thing if you’re behaving violently in the store – that’s a legitimate reason to be refused service, but there’s no excuse for discrimination based on something which is so fundamentally about you as a person.

Cyber bullying is a trend that has evolved from a bizarre combination of exclusion and openness. On the one hand, we can read more and learn about policies in different countries, take the best of those and apply them to our own environment.

On the other, it serves as a means of spreading hate and discriminatory rhetoric. In theory, everybody should have equal access to the same services online. In practice, the same violent and bullying behaviours can be observed.

However, that trend can be stopped.

Stores and brands have taken stands against cyber discrimination – with the help of such stores as Zando, Spree and HomeChoice, which can be found on a discount code platform Picodi South Africa, welcomes customers from all backgrounds and walks of life.

More importantly, everyone can use them in exactly the same way – visit the website, subscribe, and save money. This is the positive side of the world wide web, and a practical approach to the problem of discrimination.

Cyber bullying is an ongoing issue and requires a blanket approach. If bullying online can be stopped, it might serve as a starting point to limiting hate speech amongst teenagers, across religious groups and representatives of other cultures.

Happy, inclusive online shopping, everyone!