Reflections on a Decade of ReThinking Hate

August marks a decade since I took what was just a simple prototype and pitched my concept to some of the world’s leading scientists, engineers, and thinkers at Google’s Science Fair. I was 14 years old when I shared the idea for ReThink, a technology that detects offensive digital content before it’s sent and gives young users a chance to rethink sending it (“Whoa! Are you sure you want to say that?”). My research, which I also presented, found that over 93% of the time, youth aged 13-18 who received the chance to ReThink changed their mind and decided not to post the original content. By giving young people a chance to “hit the brakes,” so to speak, I could not only stop cyberbullying before any damage was done, but I could help cultivate a new generation of responsible, intentional, digital citizens.

Ten years later, ReThink is a multi-patented, globally acclaimed technology that is proactively creating the digital world that every young person deserves to live in. The app was named one of Google Play’s Most Innovative Apps and has been featured on the TED stage, at The White House, and even on ABC’s hit TV show, “Shark Tank.” Last year, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Foundation celebrated the technology. And while I am a proud technologist, I’ve never believed that technology alone can conquer all digital ills. Advocacy efforts and developing resources along with guidance to strengthen the responsible technology movement are also an extensive part of my ReThink journey. In 2021 I launched Ask Trish, an online advice column covering topics ranging from digital sextortion to social media anxiety to mis/disinformation. In 2022, I published my first book, “ReThink the Internet,” a by-youth, for-youth guide to the what’s, why’s, and how’s of responsible digital citizenship.

It’s been a busy 10 years, but even so, plenty of work remains for ReThink and for the responsible technology movement as a whole. As I commemorate a decade of doing meaningful, fulfilling work, I’d like to share some of the lessons that I have learned throughout my career. In doing so, I hope to chart a path forward for the work that remains to build a better Internet. Done right, I believe that we can ignite the digital revolution that we have all been waiting for.

For much of my career, I’ve been the only young person in the room, especially around adults in positions of power. I’ve watched adults talk about young people without including young people. And I’ve seen the consequences when we exclude the perspectives of young people—less effective products and solutions viewed as illegitimate—a product of them (the adults) rather than us. ReThink is a testament to the impact of a youth-led solution. As a young person, my message to “ReThink” was always better received in schools and youth communities (students would say, “Hey, that’s pretty cool!”). Moreover, the idea for encouraging young people to rethink online hate actually stemmed from my lived experiences of having classmates say mean, hurtful things to me online that they would never say to me in person.

The lesson is clear: give way to young innovators. From intergenerational collaboration to meaningful youth engagement, the best way to give young people a real seat at the table is to give them the opportunity to create the digital world in which they want to live. Organizations can legitimize the efforts and lived experiences of young people. Funders can intentionally invest in youth-led efforts. Leaders and those with more experience can co-mentor young people as they start a business, build a board, fundraise, or file their first annual tax returns. Giving way to young people is how we spark change.

The responsible technology movement has made strides in U.S. and Western-centric spaces, and while that work is important, leaders—adults and young people alike—need to take a more global view if we want to see true impact. It’s a serious problem when we think largely about how issues like cyberbullying affect Americans and Europeans, but think far less about how they affect young people around the world. Already, technology platforms are underinvesting in moderation and other content safety resources for non-English speaking populations. It’s up to us to ensure that the movement for safe, responsible digital experiences is inclusive. Every young person with a device, no matter their geographic location, deserves to feel safe, affirmed, and respected online.

We’ve eagerly taken on this challenge at ReThink, developing our technology in nine languages and working with global partners to deliver customized educational resources to young people around the world. Most recently, we collaborated with an incredible NGO in Lebanon, the Adyan Foundation, to bring a customized Lebanese ReThink technology solution and anti-hate educational curriculum to the middle school youth that they serve. Admittedly, there was a steep learning curve with this work, but it’s been a privilege to learn, and ultimately worth the effort, when we positively impact the lives of youth who are otherwise under-resourced or ignored in this movement.

I’m willing to go on the record to say that if you’re doing responsible technology work
solo, you’re doing it wrong. With an endless number of issues to tackle, there are equally an endless number of angles from which to approach them. With cyberbullying, for example, ReThink has largely focused on the sender (the potential cyberbully) through the lens of internet design, but there are other great organizations focused on securing remedies for victims, often via advocacy or policy efforts. All of this work has value and it is much more impactful when done together.

ReThink recently collaborated with several parent-focused organizations to bring digital literacy education to parents. We connected parents with youth-informed information and light conversation starters to ignite proactive conversations about the Internet and technology with their children—and in so doing, ensure that digital literacy starts early in the home. This work allows us to continue to develop anti-hate measures that center youth voices and tackle cyberbullying with more allyship.

So, if you’re a little light on partners, consider: what do you have to offer other parts of the responsible technology movement, and what do they have to offer you? How can you work together with others to make that much more impact (possibly in ways you didn’t anticipate)?

These three key lessons offer a blueprint for our responsible technology efforts—current and future—as we blaze toward a safer, more responsible digital world. But there is one other, unstated lesson—one that I’m grateful to have learned as early as I did, one that changed my life—which is that any one voice can be powerful. At 13, my voice helped redesign the Internet to reclaim our humanity online. Just imagine what your voice might do. One last mini-lesson: when in doubt, don’t be afraid – speak up.

It’s been an incredible 10 years. I can’t wait for the next 10 – with all of you.

Learn more about Trisha Prabhu and her work with ReThink here.