Reword Will Help You Reduce Choosing Offensive Words

Google Chrome extension in Australia, Reword, is here to help you choose kind and polite words in writing. It will not directly allow you to use offensive words and send them to others over the internet. It uses a similar functionality to spell check, putting a red line through any words you write that are considered unkind.

Chris Tanti, CEO of Headspace, Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation, said that online abusing in Australia is a common phenomenon. The tool is created by mental health organization Headspace and advertising agency Leo Burnett Melbourne. It is hoped that the tool will be rolled out on school computers and across organizations though it is unlikely to be downloaded by a bully for self-monitoring.

In a statement, Tanti said, ‘Sadly, online bullying is endemic. We’re encouraged that this is a tangible online tool that will genuinely help change behavior and reduce incidents of bullying. The pressures on children in social media are intense. Reword is one way we can help empower them in real time.’

The website explains how to implement the plug-in on networked computers. The website also lets people add words and phrases to the Reword database, catching some of the terms the creators probably hadn’t even thought of.

Though it is more of an educational tool than a productive one, anything that raises awareness about online bullying when communicating through the Internet is a step in the right direction. Thus, it is a forceful attempt to reduce unwanted embarrassment.