TIME Magazine has chosen 17-year-old Indian-American student Tejasvi Manoj from Frisco, Texas, as the Kid of the Year 2025, honoring her extraordinary work in protecting older adults from online scams. The award recognizes not just her technological innovation, but also her deep empathy for senior citizens and her ability to use coding and leadership skills for meaningful social impact.
A Family Crisis That Sparked a Mission
Tejasvi’s journey began with a very personal experience. In early 2024, her 85-year-old grandfather received what looked like an urgent email from a distant relative. The email claimed that the sender was in financial distress and requested $2,000 immediately.
Her grandfather, like many seniors unfamiliar with sophisticated online fraud tactics, was ready to help. Fortunately, Tejasvi’s father discovered the email in time and stopped the transaction. The family quickly realized how close they had come to losing money — and how easily a vulnerable senior could be tricked by persuasive cybercriminals.
For Tejasvi, this incident was a wake-up call. She later shared that if her family — educated, tech-savvy, and cautious — could almost fall victim, millions of other seniors were at much greater risk. This moment motivated her to think about solutions that could help the broader elderly community, not just her own grandfather.
Shield Seniors: An AI-Powered Safety Net
Motivated to act, Tejasvi created Shield Seniors, an online platform designed specifically for people aged 60 and above. The platform combines education, AI technology, and direct links to law enforcement and advocacy groups. It operates on four main pillars:
- Learn – Easy-to-understand guides about internet safety, covering essentials like secure passwords, identifying phishing attempts, protecting personal information, and recognizing suspicious links.
- Ask – A built-in chatbot that explains cybersecurity questions in plain language. Seniors can type questions such as “What is a phishing email?” or “How do I check if this link is safe?” and get quick, reliable answers.
- Analyse – The platform allows users to upload screenshots or text from suspicious emails and messages. An AI engine evaluates the content, highlights red flags, and explains why it may be a scam.
- Report – Shield Seniors connects directly with organizations such as the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), the AARP Fraud Watch Network, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This feature makes it easier for seniors to take formal action rather than feeling helpless or embarrassed.
Currently, Shield Seniors is in private preview, but Tejasvi is already working on expanding it. She is raising funds to transition from a free, open-source AI model to a commercial AI platform. This upgrade will allow the site to handle larger volumes of scam reports and eventually support in-person workshops in senior centers and assisted-living facilities.
TIME’s 2025 Kid of the Year Tejasvi Manoj built Shield Seniors, a website designed to educate the 60-plus demographic about what online scams look like, analyze suspicious emails and messages users upload, and, if the communications prove fraudulent, provide links to report them.… pic.twitter.com/LOLBADuNlt
— TIME (@TIME) September 9, 2025
Why Protecting Seniors Online Matters
The urgency of Tejasvi’s project becomes clear when looking at national data. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3):
- In 2024, Americans filed nearly 860,000 fraud reports, representing losses of more than $16 billion.
- People aged 60 and above lost almost $5 billion, marking a 32% jump compared to the previous year.
- Seniors reporting losses of over $10,000 grew fourfold between 2020 and 2024.
- Cases where victims lost over $100,000 increased sevenfold in the same period.
These numbers highlight why seniors are frequent targets. Many have retirement savings, are less accustomed to spotting online manipulation, and may hesitate to report fraud because of shame or fear of losing independence. By creating Shield Seniors, Tejasvi is addressing not just the scams themselves, but also the emotional and psychological barriers that prevent seniors from seeking help.
A Multi-Talented Teen With a Vision
While many 17-year-olds balance schoolwork with hobbies, Tejasvi has managed to combine academics, coding, leadership, and community service in remarkable ways:
- Coding Journey: She began programming in middle school, exploring Java, Python, and HTML. She joined Girls Who Code and developed a strong interest in cybersecurity and ethical AI applications.
- Awards: In 2024, she received an Honorable Mention in the Congressional App Challenge, a competition that encourages students to use coding for public good.
- Public Speaking: In 2025, she delivered a TEDx talk in Plano, Texas, titled “Digital Bridges: Connecting Generations Safely.” Her speech focused on closing the digital gap between seniors and younger generations.
- Scouting America: She is a proud Eagle Scout, demonstrating long-term dedication to service and leadership.
- Music and Arts: Tejasvi also plays the violin in her high school orchestra, showing her ability to balance technical and creative interests.
- Community Service: Beyond technology, she tutors Bhutanese refugee students in math and English, and serves on the North Texas Food Bank Young Advocates Council, supporting food security initiatives.
Her ability to manage diverse activities while excelling in each is part of what made her stand out to TIME Magazine.
National and Global Recognition
TIME’s editors praised Tejasvi for identifying a growing national problem and creating a practical, scalable solution. The magazine’s feature noted:
- She is the first person to receive both TIME Kid of the Year and TIME for Kids Service Star, the latter celebrating young changemakers making a positive impact in their communities.
- She represents the fifth annual Kid of the Year award, which has previously honored figures like Gitanjali Rao (2020) and Orion Jean (2021), both recognized for using innovation and compassion to drive change.
- Tejasvi’s work highlights the importance of intergenerational support, showing how young people can safeguard older relatives while fostering stronger family and community ties.
Looking Ahead: From Prototype to National Resource
While Shield Seniors is still developing, Tejasvi’s ambitions are growing. She is currently fundraising to enhance the AI system, expand user access, and organize workshops in nursing homes and assisted-living centers. She also hopes to collaborate with public agencies and tech companies to ensure seniors nationwide have access to safe online tools.
For her own future, Tejasvi plans to pursue computer science, with a focus on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, areas where she has already demonstrated strong interest and potential.
Her ultimate vision is to create a digital ecosystem where seniors feel safe, confident, and independent online — and where families know their loved ones are better protected.
- Online scams against seniors are rapidly increasing, making them a national crisis.
- A single personal incident inspired Tejasvi to develop a project that now has the potential to help millions.
- Shield Seniors combines AI, education, and direct reporting to create a powerful safety net for older adults.
- Tejasvi’s recognition by TIME signals not just her individual achievement, but the importance of addressing digital safety for vulnerable populations.
Tejasvi Manoj’s recognition as TIME’s Kid of the Year 2025 is more than an award — it is a call to action. Her work reminds us that technology must serve humanity, and that innovation led by compassion can close generational gaps. In an era where online scams are becoming more sophisticated, her project offers hope, guidance, and practical solutions for protecting seniors across the U.S. and beyond.
The Information is Collected from NDTV and India Today.
