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GenThink

Empowering Critical Thinking in the Digital Age

AI-powered technology that helps young people navigate news and social media with analytical thinking, empathy, and media literacy skills.

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The Digital Information Challenge

95%
of teens use social media, often 5+ hours daily
50%
get their news primarily from social media platforms
6x
faster false news spreads compared to true news online
40%
more likely for extreme content to go viral
76%
of US states lack mandatory media literacy training
87%
of parents support digital literacy training

"The political lenses through which adolescents process heightened exposure to news events may therefore play a crucial role in augmenting subsequent psychological effects..."

Columbia University/NIH

Our Solution: Intelligence-Driven Perspective

  • AI-powered perspective aggregation with user-friendly explainers
  • Interactive exercises that develop analytical thinking skills
  • Empathy-building tools for understanding diverse viewpoints
  • Metacognitive reflection prompts to reduce emotional reactions
  • Real-world application through browser extension integration
Explore The Technology
cbsnews.com/news/us-anti-american-views-immigration
POLITICS

U.S. to probe "anti-American" views of those applying for immigration benefits

By Camilo Montoya-Galvez • August 20, 2025
[Photo: USCIS Building]

The Trump administration has directed government officials to probe any "anti-American" views and activities of immigrants applying for immigration benefits like green cards and work permits, further expanding the grounds that can be cited to deny those applications.

The policy unveiled on Tuesday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is the latest front in a broader Trump administration effort to restrict access to legal immigration benefits, including by broadening the levels of scrutiny and vetting to which applicants are subjected.

The guidance issued this week directs officials at USCIS to determine whether applicants for certain immigration benefits have "endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused anti-American views or the views of a terrorist organization or group," including on social media. USCIS said those groups could include organizations that espouse or promote antisemitic views and terrorism.

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GENTHINK PERSPECTIVES

Viewpoint 1 — Stronger screening for "anti-American" views is a reasonable condition for discretionary immigration benefits.

Supporting Arguments: Proponents argue that a nation can fairly condition discretionary benefits—like certain work permits, status changes, or green cards—on evidence that applicants do not support violent extremism or organizations hostile to the United States. The new guidance instructs officers to treat endorsement of extremist or anti-American views as an "overwhelmingly negative factor," often via social media review, which supporters see as a modern, common-sense vetting tool in line with existing law.
"The Trump administration wants immigration services to begin scrutinizing social media accounts for 'anti-Americanism' — I absolutely agree with this."

Viewpoint 2 — The policy's vagueness about "anti-American" views risks chilling protected speech and enabling subjective, discriminatory denials.

Supporting Arguments: Critics contend that terms like "anti-American" are inherently subjective, making enforcement uneven and vulnerable to political bias. Even if the government may deny certain discretionary benefits, they argue that using a vague label invites viewpoint-based penalties for lawful speech, especially when officers scan social media where sarcasm, context, and translation are easily misread.
"Then how long before they examine the social media of citizens? Who determines what's 'anti-American'? This is a slippery slope."

Viewpoint 3 — A calibrated approach should define specific, violence-linked criteria, document decisions, and build guardrails against bias.

Supporting Arguments: A middle-ground stance accepts robust vetting but urges precise definitions tied to existing statutory grounds—advocacy of violent overthrow, material support to terrorist groups, or threats to public safety—rather than a broad "anti-American" label. Under this approach, USCIS would publish a transparent rubric, base findings on multiple corroborated indicators, and provide internal review to catch errors before a denial.
"Officers should consider the positive attributes of immigrants seeking citizenship, not just the absence of misconduct."
Where perspectives may overlap

Across views, there is potential agreement that the government should: (1) prevent people who endorse violence or aid terrorist groups from obtaining benefits; (2) use evidence that is accurate, contextualized, and reviewable; and (3) distinguish criticism of policy from advocacy of illegal acts.

Questions for reflection and discussion
  • What would be a clear, fair definition of "anti-American" that targets violence without penalizing lawful dissent?
  • If social media is used in vetting, what context checks should be required before treating a post as evidence?
  • How could oversight help both supporters and critics feel the process is legitimate?
  • Imagine you disagree with someone on this issue. How would you explain your position in a way that addresses their core concerns?
Self-Reflection

When you read "anti-American," do you mentally substitute it with views you already dislike? What specific evidence would change your mind about the risks or fairness of this policy?

Smart tips for examining social media and news on this topic
  • Watch for vague labels. Look for specifics (violence, material support, credible threats) rather than broad terms
  • Separate criticism from advocacy. Check if the original text endorses illegal acts or simply criticizes policy
  • Distinguish discretionary benefits from rights. Identify which stage is being discussed and what standards apply
  • Verify policy with primary sources. Headlines often compress nuance; check actual policy descriptions

Diverse Learning Tools for Every Young Person

GenThink provides multiple ways to engage with complex topics, from interactive extensions to video content, ensuring every young person can develop critical thinking skills through their preferred learning style.

Informative content that helps young people understand complex perspectives and develop analytical thinking skills across multiple formats and platforms.

Core Technology & Benefits

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AI-Powered Analysis

7 years of R&D with proprietary techniques tested on over 30,000 stories for best-in-class performance

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Critical Thinking Skills

Interactive questions and exercises that help young people weigh information objectively and analytically

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Empathy & Collaboration

Tools designed to foster understanding of different perspectives and mediation skills in diverse environments

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Metacognitive Reflection

Encourages self-reflection and deductive reasoning rather than purely emotional reactions to news

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Historical Context

Provides background connecting current events to historical patterns and precedents for deeper understanding

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Psychologist Advised

Guided by a psychologist with 50 years of experience in adolescent mental health

Recognized by Leading Organizations

NYC Media Lab

AI News Initiative Partner

Knight Foundation

Grant Recipient

NYU Future Labs

Accelerator Program

Next News Challenge

Finalist

VentureCrushFG

Accelerator Program

AI for Good

Collaboration Partner

The U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 Advisory and American Psychological Association's recommended digital literacy training in schools.

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Evan Friedman
Co-Founder & Contact
founders@genthink.app