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· collected 2026-08-18 · by TOI World Desk
Trisha Mahajan, an Indian-origin teenager, developed a mobile keyboard at age 13 that identifies offensive messages before posting, and has since created a non-profit organization called ReThink against cyberbullying. The app, which interrupts users before sending potentially hurtful messages, was tested in an experiment with teenagers showing a significant decrease in willingness to send aggressive content after being prompted to reconsider. According to the article, the organization's efforts have resulted in over 500,000 downloads of the app and work with over 5 million students across 134 countries. The non-profit has received recognition from prominent figures, including an invitation to the White House and a TED Talk, as well as praise from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
A teenager typed an insult on their phone and prepared to publish it.
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teenager → type → it
Before hitting send, the screen would ask if they were sure they wanted to say that to the other person.
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they → hit → person
Trisha Mahajan was just 13 years old when she developed a mobile keyword that identified offensive messages before posting.
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that → develop → messages
Today, she has taken her dream further creating a non-profit organisation against cyberbullying and receiving support from across the globe.
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she → take → globe
The story was reported by The Harvard Crimson, a student-run newspaper at Harvard University.
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story → report → University
For the teenager, it all stemmed from a personal experience.
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it → stem → experience
She had already faced cyberbullying when she learned about the case of Rebecca Sedwick, a student who died by suicide after enduring relentless virtual attacks.
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who → face → attacks
Sedwick was just a year younger than Prabhu and the close age made her realise the urgency of the issue.
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her → make → issue
“I remember reading that story and thinking something’s wrong here,” Prabhu said.
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Prabhu → remember → story
“Something is very wrong with our internet, with what it’s become, and what we are sending young people into when they get a phone.”
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they → become → phone
At the time, most common methods of prevention stemmed from the victim.
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methods → stem → victim
But Prabhu decided to flip the question and asked if one could reach the attacker before the harm was caused.
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harm → decide → attacker
The idea gave rise to ReThink, essentially asking the person to rethink.
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idea → give → person
When it identifies a potentially offensive phrase, the system presents an alert and encourages the user to reconsider what they wrote before sending or publishing it.
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they → identify → it
ReThink functions as a keyboard installed on the phone.
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ReThink → function → phone
When it identifies a potentially offensive phrase, the system presents an alert and encourages the user to reconsider what they wrote before sending or publishing it.
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they → identify → it
The app does not mandatorily block the message or take away the user’s final decision.
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app → block → decision
It merely interrupts the automatic gesture for a few moments.
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It → interrupt → moments
The person can still return to the text, delete the offence, or proceed with the publication.
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person → return → publication
It treats the message as a decision that can still be corrected and offers an immediate opportunity to avoid regret.
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that → treat → regret
The initial experiment compared teenagers' reactions to aggressive messages with and without the alert.
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experiment → compare → alert
Without the pause, 71% showed willingness to send the content.
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% → show → content
But after the alert, only 4% maintained that decision.
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% → maintain → decision
The concept grew out of Prabhu's original research, work that made her a 2013 Google Science Fair finalist at the age of 13.
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her → grow → 13
The Harvard Crimson, a student newspaper at Harvard University, reported that young people stopped sending an offensive message in over 93% of instances when prompted to reconsider.
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people → report → instances
On October 29, 2020, the app had already amassed over 500,000 downloads.
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app → amass → downloads
The organisation had also worked with 5 million students, spread across more than 1,500 schools in 134 countries.
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organisation → work → countries
She was invited to the White House, gave a TED Talk in India and received $100,000 in funding from Shark Tank investors.
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She → invite → investors
In October 2020, she received the Elevate prize, a $300,000 award to put toward ReThink.
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she → receive → ReThink
The competition chose ten winners overall from a pool of about 1,300 applicants who use their organisations to promote positive social change.
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who → choose → change
What does Trisha Prabhu do now?
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Prabhu → do → What
At 24, Prabhu still remains the Inventor, founder, and CEO of ReThink.
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Prabhu → remain → ReThink
At 24, Prabhu still remains the Inventor, founder, and CEO of ReThink.
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Prabhu → remain → ReThink
Since graduating from high school in 2018, she went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a Doctor of Law from Yale Law School.
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she → graduate → School
In 2023, she started ReThink Citizens, a non-profit movement that tackles cyberbullying, promotes digital wellness, and empowers youth to build a kinder, more inclusive internet.
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that → start → internet
She currently works as the Founder, President & CEO of the organisation.
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She → work → organisation
The same year the movement received a $50,000 grant from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell Foundation through the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund.
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movement → receive → Fund
The couple also video-called the founder to congratulate her and publicly champion the organisation's work.
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couple → call → work
Prabhu also serves as a member of the Board of Advisors at the non-profit organisation Carson J. Bride Effect that protects kids from the changing world of technology.
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that → serve → technology
She shines as an example of just how much change a single motivated person can make for a cause if they put all their effort and heart into it.
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they → shin → it
