2004
OriginFirst field study of race-related online experiences
Dr. Tynes's foundational published work documents adolescents' race-related experiences online.
1stPaper
FoundationalPublication
A platform built on two decades of research — co-designed by students of color.
Note from the principal investigator
We didn't start with a product. We started with twenty years of data on how the internet was actually affecting the young people we were studying. CRITmetic is what happens when you take that evidence seriously.
20yrsUnderlying research
4,200+Students · pilot & field studies
79Scholarly Publications
5Standards frameworks aligned
Ready for the Future
A digital literacy and mental health educational platform created for liberation
CRITmetic uses state-of-the-art technology to implement a digital literacy and mental health intervention for adolescents navigating digital spaces. Scroll to advance through the milestones.
01 / 12Scroll to advance
2008
DiscriminationDocumenting online racial discrimination in adolescents
Published first study to show mental-health cost of online racial discrimination highlighting the need to address racial issues in internet safety prevention.
2Midwestern High Schools
264Participants
2012
Mental HealthThe protective function of ethnic identity
Published the first to confirm ethnic identity protects youth against experiences with racial discrimination in online contexts.
125Teens tracked
3Urban Midwest high schools
2018
ModelOnline racism model published
Tynes & colleagues publish a taxonomy of online racism distinguishing racial microaggressions, online racial discrimination (microassaults), and online hate crimes.
Cited100+ times
ReferencedBy an NIH study
2019
Online RacismRace-Related Traumatic Events Online
Frequent exposure to traumatic online events were associated with higher levels of PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms.
5Papers
302Participants
2021
Digital LiteracyRecognizing Algorithmic Bias
CELDTech creates four tasks that require students to evaluate a range of race-related material in contexts such as search results and social media content.
4Digital Literacy Tasks
APARecommended
2023
Digital LiteracyAdolescents and Online Civic Reasoning
CELDTech develops a rubric to categorize adolescents' ability to critique racism in digital media. Findings indicate the majority of participants demonstrated beginner-level ability.
183Participants
Over 2,200Views and Downloads
2023
Design Sprints
CRITmetic Design Sprints Kickoff
First in-classroom prototypes of what would become CRITmetic. Co-designed with student researchers, refined across multiple schools.
18Design Sprints
Over 250Design Artifacts
2024
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance testing began
Iterative development followed by extensive quality assurance testing through 2026 incorporated participant feedback to eliminate bugs and establish CRITmetic's roadmap.
650Feedback tickets
2-YearQA Testing
2025
Algorithmic BiasFirst studies linking algorithmic bias to poor mental health
Black adolescents reported having 6 online race-related experiences per day. Negative experiences were associated with poor mental health.
1,138Nationally Representative Participants
Top 5%Altmetric research outputs
2025
Digital LiteracyRacial-ethnic differences in daily diary study
Innovative study reports Black and Latinx youth practice critical digital literacy skills higher than their white counterparts.
271Digital Diaries Examined
42Altmetric Score
2026
Pilot
Pilot launches in California
After two more years of careful building, the CRITmetic pilot launches in Southern California.
2Days
8Modules shipped
Research
Peer-reviewed work that built the platform.
Two decades of studies on adolescent online experiences — racial discrimination, algorithmic bias, mental-health cost of disinformation. Filter by area to dive in.
CHAPTER2026Mental Health · 2026
Online Racism and Its Academic and Mental Health Impacts: A Review and Future Directions for Research at the Intersection of Emerging Technologies and Educational Psychology
AI‑mediated racism may reinforce existing inequities by limiting opportunities (e.g., merit‑based scholarships), slowing progress toward graduation, creating barriers to retention, and ultimately, stifling access to upward social mobility through education.
Read paper
PAPER2021Algorithmic Bias · 2021
From Google Searches to Russian Disinformation: Adolescent Critical Race Digital Literacy Needs and Skills.
Existing digital literacy education lacks the tools to critically analyze race, racism, algorithms, and disinformation, leading the researchers to recommend Critical Race Digital Literacy.
Read paper
PAPER2023Digital Literacy · 2023
Adolescents’ Analyses of Digital Media Related to Race and Racism in the 2020 U.S. Election: An Assessment of Their Needs and Skills
Adolescents need more opportunities to learn how to critically assess race-related digital media by leveraging CRDL
Read paper
PAPER2024Mental Health · 2024
Online racial discrimination, suicidal ideation, and traumatic stress in a national sample of Black adolescents
Overall, findings indicated that online racial discrimination was a significant predictor of PTSD, and PTSD was a significant predictor of suicidal ideation.
Read paper
PAPER2024Algorithmic Bias · 2024
Adolescents’ daily race-related online experiences and mental health outcomes
Multiple forms of online racism such as online racial discrimination (ORD), traumatic events online (TEO), and algorithmic bias were associated with higher next-day anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Read paper
PAPER2021Digital Literacy · 2021
Rethinking digital citizenship: Learning about media, literacy, and race in turbulent time
Digital citizenship education must move beyond online safety and civility to include critical analysis of race, power, and misinformation.
Read paperVoice from the field
The national conversation around generative AI in schools often misses the human element—specifically, how these tools, and the distrust of students that comes with it, impact teacher-student dynamics and, crucially, how they can negatively affect student motivation and long-term outcomes.