Time Magazine Names First ‘Kid of the Year’

Meet Gitanjali Rao, a 15-year-old scientist, and inventor from Lone Tree, Columbia.

Instead of complaining about the damages of climate change and encouraging kids to skip school and protest, Rao has created some marvelous artificial intelligence and carbon nanotube sensor technology inventions that help the world be a better place. In addition, she has worked long and hard to create a massive endeavor to counteract cyberbullying, as well as water contamination. According to MSN News, the award began with a field of about 5,000 nominees and, over time, was whittled down to five.

“Time magazine chose five finalists total, with the other four being 14-year-old Tyler Gordan from San Jose, Calif., 14-year-old Jordan Reeves from Columbia, Mo., 10-year-old Bellen Woodward from Leesburg, Va., and 16-year-old Ian McKenna from Austin, Texas.” For Rao, one of her most proud inventions is an app for teenagers that spots cyberbullying. Rao says, “It’s a service called Kindly – there’s an app and a Chrome extension – which is able to detect cyberbullying at an early stage, based on artificial intelligence technology.

Rao says that the “goal is not to punish. As a teenager, I know teenagers tend to lash out sometimes. Instead, it gives you the chance to rethink what you’re saying so that you know what to do the next time around.” She encourages students not to get overwhelmed by all the bad they see in the world. Instead, focus on one thing at a time. Take something you are passionate about or that interests you and begin to try and solve that problem – even if it’s something small.