17-year-old Tejasvi Manoj, an Indian American from Texas, is TIME’s Kid of the Year 2025. She earned the prestigious title for her work in protecting senior citizens from online scams.
He initiative, Shield Senior, uses technology and education to safeguard older adults from digital fraud and cybercrime.
Who is Tejasvi Manoj?
Tejasvi was born in California and raised in Dallas, Texas, by parents who are software engineers.
As a child, she discovered her passion for coding and joined the Girls Who Code group.
TIME reported that Tejasvi began building the Shield Seniors website after her grandfather received a scam call from a person asking for money by pretending to be a family member. The scam was quickly exposed after her grandfather consulted with his relatives.
TIME's new cover: Our 2025 Kid of the Year is 17-year-old Tejasvi Manoj, who is working to help seniors identify, report, and protect themselves against online scams. https://t.co/gIDu9eq02I
— TIME (@TIME) September 9, 2025
Photograph by Zerb Mellish for TIME
Made possible by #TheAllstateFoundation pic.twitter.com/GOpWP1K8J5
The incident had left the 16-year-old disturbed. She was appalled that someone would try to take advantage of her grandfather, and she was also shocked that her grandparents were so unaware. She discovered that online scams often target older populations who are also more susceptible to falling for them.
Early versions of the Shield Seniors website were tested by her grandparents. The website has tools to learn about scam tactics and internet safety, a chatbot that answers questions, and an AI-powered analysis tool that scans suspicious messages and emails for scams.
“Because our goal for Shield Seniors is to make sure older adults are independent and know what to look for. We want to make sure they’re able to navigate the online world confidently, with independence, and with dignity,” Tejasvi said.
The website is currently in private preview mode as she is developing it to be a larger commercial platform. The Dallas Observer shared her work on LinkedIn, expanding her reach.
Her work has earned her the TIME’s Kid of the Year title and has been called a Digital Defender.
A ‘Digital Defender’ here is someone who safeguards digital environments by monitoring, securing, and alerting users to cyber fraud and threats.
She has also given a TEDx talk in Texas, where she called for digital bridges between generations.
Tejasvi is planning to study computer science at universities like the University of Texas, Georgia Tech, or Purdue with a minor in AI or cybersecurity. She is currently working to expand her website and refine its AI capabilities.
