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Parenting on Female First
Trisha Prabhu is an inspiration to many of her age.
Trisha is the creator of Rethink, a tool which aims to tackle trolling online by offering users who are about to post negative or offensive message the opportunity to change their minds.
Trisha came up with the idea last year when she heard about a young girl's suicide due to online bullying, and set out to find a long-term solution.
With social media trolling continuing to dominate the headlines this product is extremely timely and even saw Trisha secure a spot at the prestigious TEDxTeen event in London - the first time the event has been held outside the US.
The event was organised by O2 and partners to celebrate the ambitions and achievements of teenagers who are harnessing digital to create positive change in their communities.
Hi Trisha! You were over in the UK last week to speak at the TEDxTeen event - organised by O2 and partners to celebrate the ambitions and achievements of teenagers. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you were there?
Of course! My name is Trisha Prabhu, I'm 14 years old and I come from Chicago in the US. I was at TEDxTeen event in London last week in order to speak to other young people about an app I've created to help prevent cyber bullying on social media sites. It works by stopping the cyber bullying at the source - it focuses on the person doing the bullying as opposed to the victim and aims therefore to nip it in the bud before any damage is done.
That sounds very topical given the growing concerns there have been about cyber-bullying- so how does the app you have created actually work?
The app is called Rethink. When someone tries to post an offensive or hurtful message on social media, the app detects that the message might be offensive and sends them a warning saying: 'Hold on- this message may be offensive and upset someone. Are you sure you want to post it?'. It gives them a chance to reconsider and hopefully change their actions.
It's all based on some research I did which found that over 93% of the time, when someone is posed this question, they actually do rethink and change their mind. It prevents the abuse happening before the damage is done. It's really leading to a change in behaviour on social media and I'm really proud of the impact it's having so far.
It's a great idea and an important issue, but what inspired you to create it?
I don't think I truly understood how big a problem cyber-bullying was until one day last year, when I came home to see a story online about an 11 year old girl who had jumped off her town's water tower and fallen to her death- all because she had been cyber-bullied. She was two years younger than me and I couldn't imagine it. It was beyond me. And I thought - this is unacceptable, why isn't there something in place to stop this from happening?
Social media sites currently use the "stop-block-tell technique" to prevent cyber-bullying. In practice this means that you don't engage with the message or content that's hurtful; you block the cyber-bully who's sending it, and then tell a parent or guardian about it. But research shows that 9 out of 10 times the victims don't tell anyone that they are being cyber-bullied. I wanted to reverse the trend of placing the burden of stopping the cyber-bullying on the victim. Instead, I wanted to focus on the cyber-bully.
So what kind of advice would you give to anyone else that has got a great idea of a new product or invention but might be finding it tricky to turn it into a reality?
Firstly, I'd say just follow your passion, see where it takes you and don't give up. I also think it's really important to get out there and learn the skills you need to know. For example, learn how to code - that is such a vital skill with all the ways that technology is shaping our world. Finally, try and gather the support you need to make it a reality - whether it's your parents or big organisations offering tutoring, mentoring and funding- there are lots of places to look if you want to build those skills.
It's sometimes so easy to say 'who knows if this is going to go anywhere?' but it's worth taking risks. If you told me about a year ago that I would be working on Rethink I wouldn't have believed you! My life has changed so much over the past year, and it gives me a great joy to know that I am having an impact on society. No impact is too small so find what you love and try to make a difference.
You were here in London last week speaking at the TEDxTeen Event. What did you most enjoy about the event?
I had an amazing time at the TEDxTeen - not just because it was my first time in London but also because I had the chance to meet all the other talented and ambitious people here. I think it's fantastic to be able to celebrate the achievements of young people and great that O2 Think Big and others helped to make it all happen. It was phenomenal to meet all the speakers, talk with them and share ideas and find common ground on all these things that we love.
What more do you want to see happening from organisations or businesses like O2, or governments who are trying to help young people?
A lot of young people have passion, vision and amazing ideas. But sometimes it can be really hard to turn these into reality. I am so lucky to have grown up with amazing parents and a great support system but a lot of people don't have that. I really believe that everyone should get the same chances. That's why it's brilliant that O2 Think Big and We Are Family Foundation are giving young people the inspiration and practical help they need - 500 of the attendees at TedXTeen were shortlisted to receive a £300 grant. It would be great to see more companies doing that and helping young people to make the most of their passion, ambition and skills.
Trisha recently spoke at TEDxTeen, an event sponsored by O2 Think Big to celebrate some of the world's most ambitious and entrepreneurial teenagers. Held in the UK for the first time, it aimed to inspire young people to reach their full potential in today's digital world.
Tagged in Anti Bullying