Stop Cyberbullying Before the Damage is Done | Trisha Prabhu | TEDxGateway

 My notes about Trisha Prabhu's TED TALK

Stop Cyberbullying Before the Damage is Done | Trisha Prabhu | TEDxGateway

Trisha Prabhu was 14 years old at the time of her lecture about cyberbullying, this is something to admire, a young girl who can notice this dangerous social problem and take a stand in favor of the victims and the whole society, actually. She is one of these people who change the world. In the Ted Talk, she speaks about what is cyberbullying, and its effects on the victims, highlighting that we need to stop it before causing even more damage, then, she presents her research on a system that made people rethink posting/sending offensive messages. 

Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can take place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms, and mobile phones. We define cyberbullying in a way that we feel is more relevant to their everyday experiences. Specifically, we say that “cyberbullying is when someone repeatedly makes fun of another person online or repeatedly picks on another person through e-mail or text message or when someone posts something online about another person that they don’t like.” We also ask about specific behaviors that might constitute cyberbullying (such as hurtful comments, threats, rumors, pictures, or videos posted or circulated online). Depending on the circumstances, these experiences could constitute cyberbullying.

In a real-world bullying situation, most incidents of bullying occur between the victim and a bully (or group of bullies) in school. These incidents can range from simple name-calling to more significant acts of bullying, such as rumor-spreading, harassment, threats, and incidents of physical harm. However, whereas victims of real-world bullying can be granted a reprieve when they go home, there simply is no escape from cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying doesn’t end when the school bell rings. It can continue at any time, throughout all hours of the night. It can come in the form of text messages, social media posts, chatroom messages, images and videos that have been altered, and many other digital forms.

Cyberbullying leaves little opportunity for victims to defend themselves. There are no teachers or parents to see what is happening and intervene to put a stop to it. Cyberbullying can also be anonymous, leaving the victim little recourse to even report the bully to an authority figure. And cyberbullying can showcase the incidents of bullying to hundreds, or potentially even thousands, within a short period of time using social media platforms.

The effects might not be readily apparent at first, but as time goes on, you may notice one or more of the following behavioral changes that can be strong indicators of cyberbullying.

• A drop in social behavior — avoiding friends or social events

• Isolating his or herself in their room more than usual

• Becoming more quiet or withdrawn

• Finding it hard to concentrate on schoolwork

• Grades dropping

• Losing interest in activities that they normally enjoy

• Skipping school or expressing a desire to skip school

• Appearing angry when looking at their phone, tablet, or computer

• Hiding their phone or computer screen from view

• Avoiding using their phone

• Using drugs or alcohol

• Expressing dark thoughts or emotions

• Talking about suicide

If you think that some of these behavioral changes seem a bit extreme, such as thoughts of suicide, you should know that the relationship between bullying and suicide is a strong one. In some cases, bullying alone may not always be the sole cause. The child may already be experiencing feelings of depression or anxiety due to problems at home or a previous history of trauma.

Back to Trisha, for as long as she can remember, Trisha Prabhu has been fascinated with the inner workings of the brain. In the fall of 2013, after hearing about a young girl’s suicide because of cyberbullying, she set out to design a long-term effective solution to stop cyberbullying. 

Her efforts resulted in ReThink, a product that gives adolescents trying to post offensive messages on social media a second chance to reconsider their decisions. Winning a spot as a  Global Finalist at Google Science Fair 2014 and winner of PowerPitch 1871, Chicago’s technology and entrepreneurial hub, Trisha and Rethink has been covered by Business Insider, The International Business Times, The Huffington Post, and several other US and International media outlets. Trisha currently holds a provisional patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office for her ReThink product.

Trisha is an admiring woman, she is doing an excellent job for all of us.