Rethink before you type | Trisha Prabhu | TEDxTeen

TEDx Talks

23 Oct 201411:30

EducationalLearning

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TLDRTrisha Prabhu, a 14-year-old from Illinois, shares her journey to combat cyberbullying after being deeply affected by the tragic stories of young victims like Rebecca Sedwick. Her research reveals that adolescents are more prone to post offensive messages due to their underdeveloped prefrontal cortex. Inspired by the 'stop, block, tell' method's inadequacy, she invents a software system that prompts users to reconsider offensive messages, successfully reducing the willingness to post such content by 93%. Prabhu's innovation, 'Rethink', has the potential to save lives by encouraging users to think before they type, and she is now working on making it a global reality.

Takeaways

😢 The devastating impact of cyberbullying: The story of Rebecca Sedwick, an 11-year-old who took her own life after receiving hurtful messages on social media, highlights the tragic consequences of cyberbullying.
🌟 Trisha Prabhu's mission: At 14, Trisha is determined to stop cyberbullying by creating solutions that address the problem at its source before any damage is done.
💡 The prevalence of cyberbullying: Statistics show that 52% of US adolescents have experienced cyberbullying, with 38% of them having suicidal tendencies, indicating a widespread issue.
🌐 Global perspective on cyberbullying: With a quarter of the world's population being adolescents, the potential for cyberbullying is immense as more teens join social media platforms.
🤔 The adolescent brain's role: The adolescent brain is compared to a car with no brakes, acting impulsively without considering the consequences, which may contribute to cyberbullying behavior.
🧠 Brain development and decision-making: The prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making, is not fully developed until age 25, which may explain why adolescents act rashly online.
🔍 Trisha's research: Trisha conducted a science experiment to understand how age affects the willingness to post offensive messages, finding that younger individuals are more likely to do so.
🛑 Ineffective current measures: Current social media strategies like 'stop, block, tell' are insufficient as they place the burden on victims and do not address the behavior of the cyberbully.
💡 Trisha's innovative solution: Trisha developed a software system that prompts adolescents to reconsider posting offensive messages, significantly reducing the willingness to do so.
📈 The effectiveness of 'Rethink': The system proved to be 93% effective in changing the minds of adolescents about posting harmful messages, reducing the willingness from 71.4% to 4.6%.
🌟 Trisha's ongoing efforts: Trisha is working on making 'Rethink' a global product by creating a Chrome extension and mobile add-on to combat cyberbullying on a larger scale.

Q & A

What was the tragic incident involving Rebecca Sedwick that prompted Trisha Prabhu to take action against cyberbullying?
-Rebecca Sedwick, an eleven-year-old girl from Florida, received mean and hurtful messages on social media which led her to jump off her town's water tower to her death.
How did Trisha Prabhu's research on age and posting offensive messages on social media lead to her understanding of adolescent behavior?
-Trisha found that the younger age group, ages twelve to eighteen, was 40% more willing to post an offensive message than an older age group, which led her to research further into why adolescents act impulsively.
What is the term used to describe the adolescent brain's impulsive nature, and why is it like that?
-The adolescent brain is likened to a car with no brakes, meaning it operates at high speed without pausing, thinking, or considering. This is because the prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making, is not fully developed until age 25.
What is the common method currently used by social media sites to address cyberbullying, and why is it insufficient?
-The 'stop, block, tell' method is commonly used, but it is insufficient because it places the burden on the victim to block the bully and often victims are afraid to report the bullying. It also does not address the behavior of the cyberbully.
What innovative solution did Trisha Prabhu develop to address the issue of cyberbullying at its source?
-Trisha developed two software systems that prompt adolescents with an alert before they post an offensive message, giving them a chance to reconsider their actions.
What was the significant result Trisha found when testing her software systems on adolescents' willingness to post offensive messages?
-Trisha found that 93% of the time, when adolescents received an alert warning them about the offensive nature of their message, they changed their mind and did not post it.
How did Trisha Prabhu's invention, Rethink, reduce the willingness of adolescents to post offensive messages?
-Rethink reduced the willingness to post offensive messages from 71.4% to 4.6% by prompting adolescents to rethink their actions before posting.
What recognition did Trisha Prabhu receive for her work on combating cyberbullying?
-Trisha was a global finalist at the Google Science Fair and holds a United States provisional patent for her Rethink idea.
What is Trisha Prabhu's current goal regarding the implementation of her Rethink invention?
-Trisha's main goal is to create a Chrome extension browser and a mobile add-on for mobile platforms to make Rethink accessible globally and prevent cyberbullying.
What advice does Trisha Prabhu give to the audience in her speech to help prevent cyberbullying?
-Trisha encourages everyone to 'rethink before the damage is done', emphasizing the importance of pausing and considering the impact of their online messages.
How does Trisha Prabhu's research and invention relate to the broader issue of cyberbullying among adolescents worldwide?
-Trisha's research highlights the impulsive nature of adolescents and the ineffectiveness of current methods, while her invention, Rethink, offers a proactive solution to prevent cyberbullying by prompting reflection before posting.

Outlines

00:00

😔 Tragic Impact of Cyberbullying

The video script begins with the heartbreaking story of Rebecca Sedwick, an 11-year-old girl from Florida, who took her own life after being subjected to cruel cyberbullying on social media. The script introduces Trisha Prabhu, a 14-year-old from Naperville, Illinois, who is determined to combat cyberbullying. Trisha recounts other tragic cases, such as Megan Meier and Tyler Clementi, to emphasize the devastating effects of cyberbullying. She highlights the prevalence of the issue, with 52% of US adolescents experiencing it and 38% considering suicide as a result. Trisha's passion for preventing such tragedies is evident as she shares her vision for a world free from cyberbullying.

05:01

🧠 Understanding Adolescent Brain and Cyberbullying

In this paragraph, Trisha delves into the science behind adolescent behavior, comparing the adolescent brain to a car without brakes, signifying the impulsive nature of young people. She explains that the prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making, is not fully developed until age 25, which contributes to the tendency of adolescents to act without thinking. Trisha also critiques the current 'stop, block, tell' approach of social media platforms, arguing that it places the burden on victims and fails to address the behavior of the cyberbullies. Her frustration with the ineffectiveness of existing measures leads her to develop an innovative idea to prevent cyberbullying at its source.

10:04

🛠️ The 'Rethink' Solution to Cyberbullying

Trisha introduces her solution to cyberbullying: a software system designed to prompt adolescents to reconsider their actions before posting offensive messages on social media. Through a series of experiments, she demonstrates that her system significantly reduces the likelihood of offensive messages being posted. With a 93% success rate in changing users' minds, Trisha's 'Rethink' approach has proven effective in preventing cyberbullying. She has since been recognized as a global finalist at the Google Science Fair and holds a United States provisional patent for her idea. Trisha is now working on developing a Chrome extension and mobile add-on to make 'Rethink' accessible worldwide, aiming to stop cyberbullying before it causes harm.

🗣️ The Power of Rethinking Our Actions

In the final paragraph, Trisha reflects on the importance of taking a moment to rethink our actions before posting online. She emphasizes the potential impact of our words, whether they are about a classmate or a boss, and how they can significantly affect someone's life or our own job. Trisha encourages everyone to pause and consider the consequences of their online communications. She concludes with a powerful message about the significance of those few seconds before hitting 'post' and the potential to change the course of someone's life for the better.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying refers to the use of electronic communication to bully others, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature. In the video, it is the central theme with numerous examples provided, such as the tragic stories of Rebecca Sedwick, Megan Meier, and Tyler Clementi, who all experienced cyberbullying and its devastating consequences, leading to their untimely deaths.

💡Adolescents

Adolescents are individuals in the过渡期 between childhood and adulthood, typically between the ages of 13 and 19. The video discusses the vulnerability of this age group to cyberbullying, with statistics indicating that 52% of adolescents in the United States have been cyberbullied, and 38% of them have had suicidal tendencies.

💡Social Media

Social media refers to websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The video script highlights the role of social media as a platform where cyberbullying often occurs, impacting the lives of many adolescents.

💡Suicidal Tendencies

Suicidal tendencies refer to a state of mind where an individual has thoughts of taking their own life. The script mentions that 38% of adolescents who have been cyberbullied have suffered from suicidal tendencies, emphasizing the severity of the issue.

💡Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex is the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain, involved in decision-making, impulsivity, and social behavior. The video explains that the underdeveloped prefrontal cortex in adolescents leads to impulsive actions without considering consequences, which is a key factor in cyberbullying behavior.

💡Impulsive Decisions

Impulsive decisions are choices made quickly, often without full consideration of the consequences. The video script uses the phrase 'rash, impulsive decisions' to describe the actions of adolescents who engage in cyberbullying, highlighting the need for a moment of reflection before posting offensive messages.

💡Rethink

Rethink, in the context of the video, is a concept and a product developed by Trisha Prabhu to prompt adolescents to reconsider their actions before posting offensive messages online. It is a preventative approach to stop cyberbullying by giving individuals a chance to reflect on the potential harm their words can cause.

💡Chrome Extension

A Chrome extension is a software module for the Google Chrome web browser that customizes and enhances the browsing experience. In the script, Trisha Prabhu mentions working on a Chrome extension as part of the Rethink system to make it accessible and effective in stopping cyberbullying.

💡Provisional Patent

A provisional patent is a type of patent application filed in the United States that establishes an early filing date but does not lead to an issued patent unless followed by a non-provisional patent application. Trisha Prabhu holds a provisional patent for the Rethink idea, indicating the innovative and potentially impactful nature of her solution to cyberbullying.

💡Global Finalist

Being a global finalist typically refers to reaching the final round of an international competition. In the video, Trisha Prabhu mentions being a global finalist at the Google Science Fair for her research on combating cyberbullying, showcasing the recognition and significance of her work.

💡Stop, Block, Tell

The 'stop, block, tell' method is a common approach suggested by social media platforms to deal with cyberbullying. It involves stopping the interaction, blocking the bully, and telling a trusted adult. The video script critiques this method as insufficient, arguing that it places the burden on the victim and does not address the behavior of the cyberbully.

Highlights

Trisha Prabhu was inspired to act against cyberbullying after reading about Rebecca Sedwick's tragic suicide at the hands of online harassment.

Cyberbullying affects a significant portion of adolescents, with 52% in the U.S. experiencing it and 38% showing suicidal tendencies.

Trisha's research revealed that younger individuals aged 12 to 18 are 40% more likely to post offensive messages online.

The adolescent brain's development is likened to a car with no brakes, acting without thinking due to an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex.

Social media's existing 'stop, block, tell' method is ineffective as victims are often afraid to report cyberbullying.

Trisha's innovative approach is to prompt adolescents to rethink before they post offensive content online.

Her software systems tested the effectiveness of alerts in reducing the willingness to post offensive messages.

The alert system reduced the willingness to post offensive messages from 71.4% to 4.6%, proving its effectiveness.

Trisha's Rethink system has gained popularity and recognition, including being a global finalist at the Google Science Fair.

She holds a United States provisional patent for the Rethink idea aimed at combating cyberbullying.

Trisha is working on creating a Chrome extension and mobile add-on to make Rethink accessible globally.

The presentation emphasizes the importance of rethinking before posting online to prevent harm and potential life-altering consequences.

Trisha encourages everyone to pause and consider the impact of their online messages to foster a safer digital environment.

The presentation concludes with a call to action for individuals to choose to rethink before they type, to prevent damage.

The story of Megan Meier and Tyler Clementi is shared to illustrate the devastating real-life effects of cyberbullying.

Trisha's research and Rethink system highlight the need for proactive measures in preventing cyberbullying rather than reactive ones.

The presentation underscores the power of a few seconds of reconsideration before posting online content.

Transcripts

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Takeaways

Q & A

What was the tragic incident involving Rebecca Sedwick that prompted Trisha Prabhu to take action against cyberbullying?

How did Trisha Prabhu's research on age and posting offensive messages on social media lead to her understanding of adolescent behavior?

What is the term used to describe the adolescent brain's impulsive nature, and why is it like that?

What is the common method currently used by social media sites to address cyberbullying, and why is it insufficient?

What innovative solution did Trisha Prabhu develop to address the issue of cyberbullying at its source?

What was the significant result Trisha found when testing her software systems on adolescents' willingness to post offensive messages?

How did Trisha Prabhu's invention, Rethink, reduce the willingness of adolescents to post offensive messages?

What recognition did Trisha Prabhu receive for her work on combating cyberbullying?

What is Trisha Prabhu's current goal regarding the implementation of her Rethink invention?

What advice does Trisha Prabhu give to the audience in her speech to help prevent cyberbullying?

How does Trisha Prabhu's research and invention relate to the broader issue of cyberbullying among adolescents worldwide?