The Internet Isn’t Neutral: What Deja Foxx’s TED Talk Reveals About Girls, Power, and Building the Future Online

Let’s get real. Remember your first viral moment—or at least, the day you realized your life could change with a single post? Deja Foxx isn’t just scrolling through the digital age; she’s rewriting it. Her TED Talk drops the mask on online spaces, calling out how the internet’s supposedly neutral ground often ignores, diminishes, or polices young women. Foxx’s journey began with nervously facing a senator as a teen and now includes running for Congress—all woven together by her drive to make the digital world less hostile and more empowering, especially for women and girls. If you’ve ever felt invisible, misunderstood, or shut out online, her story will sound suspiciously familiar—and it just might inspire you to log back in, this time with a purpose.

The Surprising Power (and Struggle) of Being a Teen Girl Online

If you’ve ever scrolled through trending hashtags or watched a meme go viral, you’ve seen the fingerprints of teen girls everywhere. Yet, as Deja Foxx’s personal journey reveals, the internet isn’t the neutral playground it claims to be—especially if you’re a young woman trying to make real change. Foxx’s story is a testament to the surprising power of teen girls’ activism online, but it’s also a window into the struggles they face when their voices are dismissed, minimized, or flattened by digital culture.

From Viral Moment to Public Reckoning

Imagine being 16 years old and standing up to a U.S. senator about your right to birth control. That’s exactly where Foxx’s activism began. In a now-famous viral video, she challenged a Republican senator who had voted to strip away funding for reproductive healthcare. She asked him, “Why would you deny me the American dream?” Her question wasn’t just personal—it was political, and it resonated with millions. Overnight, Foxx’s life shifted from private to public. She became a symbol of Gen Z activism, her courage inspiring more politically engaged youth online.

But with that visibility came a new reality. Foxx describes what it meant to “come of age in the public eye,” experiencing both the possibility and the scrutiny that comes with viral attention. She notes, “I’ve been counted out more times than I can count.” For every message of support, there were critics ready to dismiss her intellect, her power, and even her right to speak.

Teen Girls: The Unseen Innovators of Digital Culture

Despite being at the forefront of digital trends—whether it’s memes, activism, or shaping the way we communicate—teen girls are often written off in mainstream commentary. Foxx puts it bluntly:

“People hate everything teenage girls like. My final essay I ever wrote in college was why don’t we call selfies self-portraits.”

This isn’t just about pop culture. It’s about who gets to be seen as a source of innovation and intellect. Teen girls have built new strategies to protect themselves and their communities, often using the internet as their toolkit. They have led movements, created viral campaigns, and changed the way we talk about everything from politics to body image. Yet, their contributions are routinely dismissed or trivialized.

The Illusion of a Neutral Internet

The internet promises openness and equal opportunity, but Foxx’s experience as a digital strategist and Gen Z activist tells a different story. Who gets heard—and who gets silenced—depends a lot on gender, race, and age. Foxx’s activism didn’t just stay online; it translated into real-world impacts, from organizing to serving as one of the youngest presidential staffers for Kamala Harris. Still, the headlines often reduce her work to the “influencer” label, flattening years of political and social effort into something trivial.

“Though I’ve been an activist for a decade [...] my accomplishments are flattened or diminished.”

This isn’t just Foxx’s struggle. It’s a pattern that repeats for countless young women who use their lived experiences to drive change. The internet may amplify your voice, but it can also distort or diminish your message, especially if you don’t fit the mold of who’s “supposed” to have power.

Empowerment Through Lived Experiences

Foxx’s journey is a reminder that you don’t need a PhD to make a difference. She leaned into her own experiences, using them as a source of power and strategy. As a digital strategist, she’s shown that teen girls’ activism online is not just about visibility—it’s about building real political power. Her story encourages you to trust what you know, to use your lived experiences as fuel for change, and to recognize that your voice matters, even when others try to silence or diminish it.

• Teen girls’ activism online is reshaping politics and culture, even as their contributions are often overlooked.
• Deja Foxx’s personal journey shows the dual reality of digital empowerment and public struggle.
• Gen Z activists like Foxx are redefining what it means to be a leader in the digital age.
• Empowerment through lived experiences is a powerful tool, especially when the world tries to write you off.

Flipping the Script: Women-Led Digital Communities as Acts of Resistance

When you log on, it’s easy to forget that the digital world wasn’t built for everyone. In fact, as Deja Foxx’s TED Talk reveals, the very architecture of major platforms like Facebook and Instagram was never designed to put girls, women, or marginalized voices at the center. The result? Spaces that often feel unsafe, biased, or outright hostile. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to accept the status quo. Across the internet, women-led digital communities are flipping the script—building alternative online spaces that prioritize respect, safety, and real connection.

Alternative Online Spaces: Built By and For Women

Think about the origins of Facebook—a platform originally created for men to rate their female classmates. It’s no surprise that such spaces weren’t designed to democratize whose stories get told. As Foxx puts it,

"The world we build online translates into the lives we get to live offline."

Platforms like Sunroom and Dm are powerful examples of this movement. Sunroom, for instance, is a women-built alternative online platform where women can monetize their content in a safe, community-moderated environment. Here, you set your own boundaries, and you get paid for your creativity and expertise—whether you’re a fitness coach, career mentor, or just someone with a story to share. This is a direct response to mainstream platforms that profit from women’s images and attention, often without sharing any of that value with the creators themselves.

Dm, a Reddit alternative, was born from the need for honest, uncensored conversations about women’s health and rights. Nearly a quarter of its searches are about reproductive rights, and the platform is trained on real conversations between women. These alternative online spaces prove that when women lead, the priorities shift: safety, respect, and authentic dialogue come first.

Monetization for Women Creators: Taking Back Economic Power

On platforms like Instagram and TikTok, women’s bodies and beauty are often commodified by algorithms that reward a narrow, often white and conventionally attractive standard. Women’s content drives engagement, yet the profits flow to tech giants. Foxx highlights the revolutionary potential of women-led digital communities:

"What makes these platforms revolutionary is how we take up economic power, because these companies are making money off our attention [...] even when we are not."

Sunroom flips this dynamic. Here, women creators are not just content—they are owners and earners. Monetization for women creators is built into the platform’s DNA, and content moderation is done through a woman’s lens. This means zero tolerance for harassment, hate speech, or the censorship of diverse bodies. Instead of being at the mercy of opaque algorithms, you’re part of a community that values your voice and your safety.

Digital Community Governance: Models for Equity and Safety

What truly sets these alternative online platforms apart is their approach to governance. Instead of being controlled by distant tech billionaires, many women-led digital communities are run by and for their users. Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a standout example. Founded in 2008, AO3 now supports over 8 million users—mainly women and girls—who share and celebrate fan works in a nonprofit, volunteer-run environment.

AO3’s governance model is radically different: it’s non-commercial, run by an elected board, and completely volunteer-driven. This proves that thriving, sustainable digital communities don’t need to be profit machines. They can be spaces where you, as a user, have real power and a real say in how things work. AO3’s success shows that digital community governance can be democratic, inclusive, and deeply effective.

Why Alternative Ecosystems Are an Urgent Necessity

Algorithmic bias and online harassment are not just annoyances—they’re threats to women’s safety, autonomy, and ability to participate in public life. From body shaming to deepfakes, the risks are real and growing. That’s why alternative online spaces, built and governed by women, are not a luxury. They are urgent, necessary acts of resistance and world-building.

When you join or support women-led digital communities, you’re not just finding a safer space. You’re helping to model new forms of control, equity, and safety online—proving that a better internet is possible, and that it starts with you.

Hacking the Future: Youth Political Power and the Battle for Safer Digital Spaces

If you want to understand the future of politics and digital spaces, you need to look at the journey of Deja Foxx. Her story is proof that youth participation in politics is not just possible—it’s necessary. Foxx’s activism began in school board meetings, where she fought for better sex education, and it has now led her to run for Congress. She shows you that digital engagement is not separate from real-life organizing. In fact, the two are deeply connected, and the digital future of youth depends on this link.

But as you step into these online spaces, you quickly see the obstacles. For young women and girls, digital violence is a daily reality. Foxx herself has faced cyber mobs and harassment, experiences that can silence even the most passionate voices before they have a chance to lead. Deep fakes, organized harassment, and algorithmic exclusion are not just technical problems—they are barriers that keep you and others from participating fully in political life. As Foxx warns,

“If someone like me is intimidated out of it and platforms don’t stand up for me [...] we will have a different political ecosystem in five years.”

This is not just about personal safety. It’s about who gets to shape the laws and platforms that define our lives. Right now, only one Gen Z member sits in Congress, even though 39% of US adults under 30 get their news from TikTok. The people making decisions about your digital world often don’t understand how these platforms work or what it’s like to grow up online. That’s why Foxx believes political representation for Gen Z is urgent. You need lawmakers who are digitally literate—people who know the risks, the opportunities, and the realities of life online.

Too often, legislative efforts to make the internet safer miss the mark. Proposals like a TikTok ban are not what young people want or need. They don’t address the root issues of digital violence against women or the lack of real choice in online communities. Foxx argues that instead of swapping one giant platform for another, we need a diverse ecosystem of digital spaces. You deserve options—places where you can get information, build community, and have your voice heard without being forced into toxic, profit-driven models.

But there’s a deeper truth here: the internet is not neutral. From the moment you sign up, algorithms track your gender and age, shaping what you see and how you’re treated. Even on the same platform, girls and boys live in different digital worlds. Foxx points out that most major platforms are “boy built and boy focused,” and that girls are forced to navigate spaces that were never designed with their safety or empowerment in mind. She’s not calling for a separate “girl internet,” but for an architecture where everyone—especially girls and women—can build safe, supportive communities that lead to real-life change.

Foxx’s vision is clear: you need more women and Gen Z builders at every level, from tech startups to Congress. You need lawmakers who understand the urgency of digital safety and who can write laws that actually protect and empower users. Her own journey—from digital advocacy to running for office—shows what’s possible when young people refuse to be sidelined. As she says,

“I decided to run to change that. Because they deserve someone they can really get behind.”

The battle for safer digital spaces is not just about technology; it’s about power, representation, and the future you want to build. If you care about youth participation in politics, if you believe in the political representation of Gen Z, and if you know that digital violence against women threatens democracy itself, then Foxx’s story is your call to action. The next chapter of the internet—and of our democracy—will be written by those who refuse to accept the status quo. It’s your turn to hack the future.