By: Young Futures Org
Published: December 18, 2024
Who is Trisha Prabhu?
You might know her from Shark Tank (where she landed an investment offer), seen her on Tedx stages (more than once!), or spotted her on the Forbes 30 under 30 list – at just 21 years old. Oh, and she also graduated from Harvard University and studied at University of Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, all before turning 25. And now, she’s an aspiring legal champion who hopes to deliver systemic legislative change for our digital world. (Yeah, she’s kind of a big deal.)
Trisha’s story starts where so many Gen Z stories do—online. After experiencing cyberbullying firsthand, she realized she wasn’t alone:
It felt like it had started to become a childhood rite of passage: you get a phone, and then, of course, naturally, you get harassed online, people that you don’t know saying inappropriate things to you, but that’s just what it means to be online. And I felt like that was so fundamentally backwards.
Enter: the ReThink Technology
ReThink is an award-winning, patented technology that detects and stops online hate before the damage is done.
Born out of Trisha’s concern about the normalizing of hateful behavior online, the technology is simple: detect when potentially harmful language is being typed and send a gentle nudge, asking if the sender is certain they want to send. The design is deliberately seamless, offering a non-threatening check-in, a chance to “rethink” hateful posts, comments, or text messages.
A lot of adults will have the foresight to say, ‘Okay, I really want to write this scathing email, but maybe I’ll sleep on it.’ And not a lot of young people will have that foresight. So what we’re doing is giving teens that guardrail that they otherwise don’t have.
The impact of Trisha’s self-coded technology astounded her: a study she conducted when she was just 13 showed that 93% of teens changed their minds when given the chance.
Thus, the ReThink App was born, gaining the attention of parents, schools, and community leaders across the world. The success led to Trisha, at 16-years-old, presenting her ReThink technology on Shark Tank (Season 8, Episode 1, on Hulu).
On the show, Barbara Corcoran asked a pointed question: Why would a bully download this? More specifically, how do you get this in the hands of those who need it?
Eight years later, Trisha looked back on how far ReThink has come in reaching youth worldwide:
It was a great question then, and it remains a great question now! We work with what we call ‘digital caregivers,’ which includes parents, educators, and community organizations. Parents are shaping what kinds of apps and software their children are using. A lot of them are really enthusiastic about ReThink because it strikes a balance between helping their child make a better decision without it being them, looking at their kids’ texts every night.
For educators, the ReThink technology is crucial: it prevents cyberbullying on classroom devices.
For many young people today, the first device they’re getting is at school. For schools, this is a huge problem, because you not only have young people cyberbullying each other on these devices, but it creates a harmful culture and degrades the learning environment.
Since its launch, ReThink has partnered with organizations like Scholastic and the U.S. Department of State to drive a movement against online hate, translating its resources into eight languages along the way.
How ReThink Expanded to ReThink Citizens
Beyond the patented technology, ReThink has launched a full-scale non-profit, ReThink Citizens, providing underserved youth with the tools and knowledge to challenge and address online hate through digital wellness education, anti-hate advocacy, and awareness campaigns.
Accessibility was a cornerstone to expanding the impact of ReThink:
A lot of our work was primarily impacting communities that had the time, the funds, the energy to think about these types of problems. There’s so many other underserved communities that were disproportionately experiencing cyberbullying that didn’t have the funds and resources to bring something like this to their community..
ReThink’s bold, age-appropriate curriculum for students from elementary to high school covers everything from responsible digital behavior to standing up against cyberbullying. With student workbooks, a facilitator guide, and workshops for parents to get involved at home, they’re making sure everyone’s on the same page.
They also host workshops for parents, equipping families to reinforce these lessons at home and take a holistic approach to digital citizenship.
Through awareness campaigns and educational events for youth, parents, and educators, ReThink is fostering a community-driven response to cyberbullying—one that inspires meaningful, positive change both online and offline. At the heart of this work is the belief that fostering authentic social connection is key to building resilience and reducing the harmful effects of online hate. By creating opportunities for youth to connect meaningfully with their peers and trusted adults, ReThink helps to bridge the gap between digital interactions and real-world relationships.
Trisha credits her YF mentor, CeCe Morken (former CEO of Headspace) for her mentorship in shaping the future vision of ReThink Citizens.
Why Teens?
Teens are at the core of Trisha’s work, having developed the ReThink technology as a teen herself. The focus on teens is twofold:
First, brain science. Many know that the human brain is not fully developed until 25-years old. The last 10% to develop? The front of the brain, or the prefrontal cortex, which controls decision making and impulse control. ReThink gives teens a chance to acknowledge their impulse and make a wiser decision.
Secondly, Trisha acknowledges a new reality for teens: the blurred separation of on and offline life. This shift has deeply impacted how young people build and maintain relationships, making it essential to ensure that digital spaces can support social connection.
You hear adults talk about social media and the digital world, and it feels to them like there’s a clear divide between the real world and the digital world. But if you talk to younger Gen Zers and Gen Alpha today, they see the digital world as a system of their lives.
The deep integration of devices into kids’ lives makes it more critical than ever for teens to navigate digital spaces safely.
Why YF is Excited to Support This Work
We couldn’t be more thrilled to support ReThink Citizens—their mission hits right at the heart of what we care about:
- giving young people agency,
- helping the trusted caregivers in their lives to learn alongside them, and
- transforming the digital world into a safer, more inclusive space where digital interactions strengthen (rather than harm) relationships and foster a sense of belonging for teens navigating an always-online world.
ReThink Citizens empowers youth to be changemakers in the digital age, inspiring them to think critically, take action, and disrupt harmful online norms. By providing tools to recognize, prevent, and combat hate speech and cyberbullying, they foster a healthier online environment that encourages meaningful social connection. Their focus on prevention, education, and advocacy ensures the next generation doesn’t just face digital challenges but actively works to change them.
What’s Next for ReThink Citizens
ReThink Citizens is launching its inaugural Youth Coalition in 2025. As a young entrepreneur who wasn’t always taken seriously, Trisha knows firsthand how important it is for young people to have a voice —and real agency— when creating solutions designed for them.
I fought so hard, particularly as a teenager, to get adults to take me seriously. You know, so much of my early career was people thinking that I was very cute and that I was not very serious.
Over the course of a 6-week program, Youth Coalition members will have the opportunity to bring their ideas for improving digital wellness to life, with guidance from mentors and access to valuable resources. Applications for the Youth Coalition open this Spring—stay tuned!
ReThink Citizens is also expanding its adult workshops, which have seen tremendous success over the past year. With growing demand from parents eager to learn from experts in digital wellness, these workshops provide the tools and insights caregivers need to support teens in today’s online world.
A lot of parents today are confused, concerned, and really don’t know what is going on in the digital world. One child once told me, ‘the only time I talk with my parents about my phone is when I’m in trouble,’ which is not ideal
At Young Futures, we’re honored to support innovators like Trisha, who are tackling one of the most pressing challenges of our time with creativity, empathy, and an unrelenting belief in the power of young people. The internet may be chaotic, but with leaders like Trisha at the helm, the next generation has a chance to shape it into a force for good.