What a fantastic idea – a local teenager is programming an add-on (pdf of the article here) for Google Chrome called “Rethink.” It provides a pop-up warning whenever someone tries to post a potentially harmful or offensive message on social media.
Rethink is intended for teenagers, with the intention of cutting back on cyberbullying. The programmer, Trisha Prabhu, started the project after reading about a cyberbullyed teenager who committed suicide. Prabhu noticed that the more social media accounts someone has, the more likely they are to post offensive comments. She also made an interesting connection between brain development and age – the area of your brain that helps control impulses and consider outcomes is not fully developed until age 25. So younger people may post something cruel without thinking through the consequences. Rethink adds a step that allows you to, yeah, rethink, before posting. It simply asks, did you really want to post that potentially offensive comment?!
Prabhu tested Rethink on a group of 300 students and the results were successful – originally, 71% were willing to post the offensive message, but after they saw the pop-up warning, they decided not to post it, 93% of the time (the phrases used that trigger the pop-up are from the Cyberbullying Research Center). Next steps for Rethink – present it at the Google Science Fair!
Reading this article made me think about so many things:
- I hope none of the young people (or people, period) in my life have to deal with cyeberbullying. Or are cyberbullies.
- Gosh, I am happy social media did not exist to the extent it does now, when I was in high school. It causes so much drama for adults; I can’t imagine what it’s like for kids.
- I think this add-on is a great idea for teenagers… and could think of some adults who could use it, too.
- I “rethink” a lot on my own – draft whole posts, never post them. Draft emails, never send them. Don’t comment on something. Highly edit comments. Add emoji to try to convey if I am joking or whatever. It’s so easy to misread online! Because of all that rethinking though, I never regret when I hit “send,” “post,” “comment” or whatever.
- The brain development point is interesting – I am a highly compulsive person by nature, and I do think that my compulsiveness have improved a bit in some areas as I’ve gotten older. Ha. I hope.
- These cyberbullying comments seem to be more directly insulting – “you’re ugly,” “that’s stupid,” etc. How about an add-on for the indirect judgy comments that adults throw at each other?
Do you think this add-on is a good idea? Do you feel like you are good at thinking things through before you post/comment?
I do think about everything I post. I read it over before I hit reply. I cringe when I read some of the stuff people post. But I do think that a lot of people hide behind the internet and post things that they wouldn’t normally say to someone’s face. It would be good to have this for adults too!
I think that’s a brilliant idea. I was thinking the same thing as I read this: in my day any bullying was done face to face. Now that one can cower behind a computer, I’d imagine it could be more rampant. That said my teenager doesn’t even bother with FB, Twitter and IG. But oh my the texting. :/
Personally I tend to err on the blunt side and often need to edit what I say.
Are you happy she is not on all of those platforms?
LOL! So you want to edit yourself, more?
I think it’s a good idea on the surface. But it still doesn’t get to the root of bullying. I was bullied when I was in 4th-5th grade. I’m glad social media wasn’t around back that but that classmate still made things pretty awful for me. Not to the point that I wanted to hurt myself, luckily I had my own circle of friends on “my side.” But kids will still find ways to be mean :-\
Yeah, I don’t think an add-on is going to give the bullying kids the help they need, but it may make them stop and think outside of the computer, too. There’s a glimmer of hope!
You’re a smelly poo poo head!
Wait!!!! Do you really want to post this!?!?!?!
Yes, I did.
Okay, but I just hope you considered the consequences of your actions!
What a fantastic idea, and what a lovely young lady. It’s nice that some teenagers are concerned about doing some good in the world. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be in high school in this era…social media, text messaging…I’m really glad I was in school in the late 90s/early 2000s. It’s harder to cyberbully with a pager. 😉
Pager! Giggle! 😉
This is a great idea! When I was growing up I was taught if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all, but I found over the years that some people don’t do this.
I think some people were never taught what “nice” is 😉 Or how to deliver what they are thinking nicely.
While I do think it’s a good idea, I think anyone who would post something negative in the first place is probably not going to be stopped by a pop-up window.
So you think the “pause and think” method doesn’t work for kids? Or are you thinking more adults? I am interested what you think since you work with kids!
No, there is no “pause and think” when it comes to preteens. Really no thinking at all. LOL
This is a very interesting idea! Most of my cousins are younger than me by 7+ years, so I’ve grown very familiar with the world of social media for preteens and teenagers and BOY, it is crazy. So. Much. Drama. High school is dramatic in itself, but add social media to the mix? It’s nuts. I’m so glad Facebook/Twitter/Instagram weren’t around when I was younger! I had a tough enough time, and I think it wouldn’t have helped one bit!
I like the idea. I’m not sure if it would REALLY deter bullies because they don’t seem to have that kind of mental awareness to understand how their words will hurt. Or, rather, they DO understand and are okay (happy, even?) with it. But it couldn’t hurt to have this filter… to spark something, at least. Maybe the more they see this question pop up, it’ll jar something in them. Or maybe I’m just hopelessly optimistic!
And way to go to this girl for seeing a problem and searching for a solution! That’s so awesome.