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By Trisha Prabhu

Me, thinking to myself last week: “I know what next week’s blog post is going to be about…Safer Internet Day 2022!”

As I’m sure many of you know, last Tuesday, February 8th, was a pretty important day in the Internet safety realm: Safer Internet Day 2022. Safer Internet Day is a day about promoting safer and more responsible use of technology and the Internet – so we can all live in a more kind, inclusive digital world. (Sounds pretty awesome, right?) As it turns out, Safer Internet Day is hosted by our very own ConnectSafely in the U.S.! It’s also supported and advanced by plenty of other incredible Internet-related organizations, including my initiative, ReThink.

For Internet-interested youth, though, I often feel that Safer Internet Day can seem interesting…but also a little inaccessible. Questions I often get from young people include: how can I tangibly get involved? How can I educate myself? What tips and perspectives can I come away with? This week, I’ve tried to bridge the gap, with an #AskTrish recap of some of the incredible resources created for #SID2022. In particular, in this post, I highlight three amazing, youth-focused #SID2022 videos created by ConnectSafely – my favorites from the day! If you’re hoping to get your #SID2022 fix, these videos are definitely a great place to start.

First up is, of course…my very own video on my work to tackle cyberbullying and hate online, as well as my personal journey to become an activist and changemaker. It’s just 15 minutes, but (I think!) it sure packs a punch. In the video, I chat about everything from my motivation to create the ReThink app – which was rooted in my frustration with the digital status quo – as well as how I’ve dealt with trolls and negative comments as I’ve become more public and visible in my work. I also give aspiring youth – incredible people just like you! – advice on how to chase your dreams and make your mark on the world. Often, we’re told that because “we’re just kids,” we couldn’t possibly have much to offer…but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In summary: if you’re looking for a little inspiration as you think about building a better digital world, definitely check out my video!

Next up is an incredible video for aspiring or budding creators: TikTok Director of Creator Community Kudzi Chikumbu’s chat about creating the best digital world for TikTok’s creative creators. Kudzi offers some incredible advice for social media creators on a range of important topics, from how to deal with the pressure to be perfect online (something we’ve also talked about here at Ask Trish!) as well as not having to “take the good with the bad” online. My favorite part of the conversation is his advice around what makes TikTok creators successful: authenticity. It’s not being contrived or striving to some abstract standard of what’s “best” or “cool” – it’s just being exactly who you are, whether that’s sharing content about your interests or bringing your personality to the camera. It’s a good reminder that often, the key to being “successful” on social media is bringing your most honest, vulnerable self to the table.

And if that isn’t enough amazing content for you…you definitely need to check out another inspiring video: Danielle Coke’s video on using social media to inspire social justice. Danielle is an incredibly talented artist who shares powerful graphics on social media to shed light on important, complex social issues. She’s ignited powerful conversations and done so via positive, fun content. In her video, Dani talks about why she first got involved in this work, and how she believes the hope and positivity in her posts make them popular and appealing. She also leaves youth with an incredibly relevant message: “perfection is not a prerequisite for participation.” In other words, don’t say you have nothing to offer because what you have to offer is seemingly not “perfect.” Your voice, as it is, matters – and by being authentic and using your voice for good, you can make a tremendous impact. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and find those^ resources as inspiring, empowering, and helpful as I did! On that note – whether you’re an #AskTrish regular, or you’ve just started tuning in to #AskTrish in 2022, don’t hesitate to share any questions or thoughts you have about the Internet here. Your topic just might be featured in next week’s TikTok/blog post! For those folks who are new to Ask Trish, remember: anything goes. Whether serious, funny, or a simple curiosity, I’m really excited to hear from you all and equally excited to be able to share some (hopefully!) sage advice and plenty of good vibes.

Until next Tuesday,

Trish

@asktrish

Did you miss #saferinternetday 2022 last week? Don’t worry — #asktrish has you covered with resources for youth! Check out the link in the bio ⬆️

♬ (What A) Wonderful World – Sam Cooke

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