Illustration by Adriana Crespo

JOSHUA LAVRA: Thanks for taking the time to chat, Trisha. To start, I would love it if you could just describe your work in a few sentences…

TRISHA PRABHU: Sure. I am the founder and president of ReThink Citizens. We are building a movement to tackle cyberbullying and redefine internet culture to be more kind and positive. 

I started this work as a teenager after witnessing the internet’s dark side. Through conversations with friends, reading news articles, and seeing statistics, I realized that this was so much bigger than me—it was a pandemic of its own affecting young people across the country and globally. 

When we started, my vision was to change the paradigm of how we address issues like cyber bullying, which—up to that point—was very reactive. I was interested in more preventative, proactive solutions to tackle online hate. And so that’s what we’ve been doing for the last 12 years. 

JOSHUA: Wow, 12 years! What does that look like day-to-day?

TRISHA: We build preventative technology that tackles cyber bullying and educational resources—ones that I would have actually wanted to read when I was in middle school. We make those resources available to historically underserved communities across the US, and also have programs that bring young people to the table to build the digital future they want. 

JOSHUA: I love that. I’d imagine your work has evolved a lot over the past decade. Could you talk a little bit about that?

TRISHA: Definitely. For one, the issue itself has evolved a lot. When I first started this work, it was very much focused on text-based bullying and verbal harassment. Today, some of the most popular social media platforms—Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat—are image and video-based, so the type of harassment has changed. Unfortunately, the types of cyberbullying out there have expanded since I started this work.

JOSHUA: Ugh. That is unfortunate – not the direction we would hope. 

With so much breadth in your work and in the issue you’re tackling, is there an initiative from the last couple of years that stands out as something you’re particularly proud of?  

TRISHA: Probably our Youth Coalition, which is launching this summer. The coalition brings together young people aged 13-22 with ideas to make the internet better, and puts them in a six-week incubator, where we connect them with leaders and activists (like Monica Lewinsky, Frances Haugen, and Arturo Béjar), and teach them how to bring their ideas to life. We explore everything these young leaders need to accelerate their innovation journey, from: How do you develop a prototype? What does it look like to get legal support to start a nonprofit? How to pitch your idea and talk to funders? 

I'm super proud of this program because it is what I would have wanted at 13 when I started my own journey of activism against cyber bullying. I was doing everything from scratch, without access to resources, a network, or mentors. So, I am really excited to streamline that journey for young people getting started now—starting with our first class of 11 innovators this summer who are all focused on the most pressing digital harms posed by technology today—things like AI, deep fakes and algorithms surfacing harmful content.

JOSHUA: I think the work that you do to bring young people into the fold is incredibly important. And hopefully it creates a cycle of more young people feeling empowered to pursue the work that they're excited about. That makes me wonder about what challenges you’ve faced as a youth-led organization—especially things that you’ve seen other young organizers face as well?

TRISHA: There is a perceived legitimacy gap that I think a lot of young people face from the outset. Because on one hand, we have a perspective and lived experience that's really valuable. But on the other hand, we do not fit the stereotype of what a typical “leader” looks like. For me, especially being a woman of color and very outspoken as a kid, a lot of people were like, “Who is this kid?” And it’s not just what we look like—our tactics are also often unconventional. In the first 3-5 years of my career it was an uphill battle trying to get people to take me seriously. It was always like, “Oh, like this, this cute kid had an idea—that's adorable,” and never “She has vision.” People don’t always recognize our skills if we don’t fit a familiar mold. 

Another misconception is that organizations started by young people are all very scrappy and unprofessional. It's funny because I've seen similar organizations that are run by adults that are described as lean and efficient when they work creatively, but when it's young people, it’s viewed differently. We are often underestimated, but some of the youth-led organizations that I've had the privilege of collaborating with are the most strategic and agile organizations out there. Funders or other more established leaders are often shocked to learn we have a clear strategy, goals, and KPIs. I'm like, why would you be surprised by that? Of course we have goals that we're aiming toward! 

JOSHUA: That kind of reaction is patronizing, and I see it perpetuated pretty often—even by those with the best of intentions. Lots to dig into there. 

Speaking of adults with good intentions…I know one area you’re focused on lately is supporting digital caregivers. Could you say a little bit more about what that term means to you and how you're engaging with that group?

TRISHA: Yeah. For most of my career, I was pretty much exclusively focused on youth and helping young people to navigate the digital world. And what I've noticed increasingly in recent years—particularly as a lot of platforms have rolled back guardrails—is that a lot of parents are extremely stressed. And not just parents! I use the term ‘digital caregiver’ because it's also educators, family members, and anyone else who plays a role in shaping how young people interact with technology. Brothers and sisters, for example, can often be more influential than parents, because they are digital natives. 

So this year at ReThink Citizens we’re launching a Youth Squad that is going to train young people aged 15-25 across the country to deliver social media safety education to digital caregivers. It’s an opportunity to flip from a traditional dynamic where young people are learners into one where they are expert guides. So, for digital caregivers who want to learn how to support the young people around them, they can get more information and understand how to balance autonomy and protection. Our dream number for this year is to reach 10,000 parents/digital caregivers through these training sessions. 

JOSHUA: I love the intergenerational lens—there's an exchange of information in both directions. I have a niece and a nephew, and I think what's really beautiful about this idea of digital caregiver training is that you’re saying that support and expertise doesn't have to be coming from a parent or guardian all the time. Sometimes the message is better delivered from their gay uncle. 

TRISHA: I totally agree.

JOSHUA: I’m curious…in addition to these Youth Squads, what are some other priorities that are top of mind for you in the coming year?

TRISHA: It's a really good question. One challenge is navigating an environment where, unfortunately, social media safety has become a polarized issue. You know, three or four years ago this felt like a very bipartisan conversation—that young people should not be cyber bullied and harassed. That it shouldn't be a rite of passage. Unfortunately, it has become harder to address these issues recently because there is a debate about whether protecting kids from cyber bullying infringes on free speech. I think it is an opportunity to really dig deep and more clearly communicate why this work matters—and to put that why at the forefront.

JOSHUA: Yeah. Too many people are having to learn about the harms of cyber bullying after being impacted by it, as opposed to being able to understand it early enough to avoid harm.

With that in mind, let’s close with this: what is one thing people reading this can do to support your work in the coming year?

TRISHA: Well, anyone can start by heading over to our website, rethinkcitizens.org, to learn more about our work—and share it with people you know in your community who could take advantage of the resources we’re offering. We have an interest form on there, and our team's always excited to get in touch. You can also follow us on Instagram. 

And if you know young people in your life that are excited to step up and help build the future of the Internet, our Youth Squad applications are available now! So stay on the alert for that.

JOSHUA: …to help you work towards that 10,000-person goal?

TRISHA: Yes! 

If you enjoyed this conversation, check out our conversations with all five young leaders from the RTYPF Steering Committee.