The ‘Cat in the Hat’ AI trend is disrupting schools, Pinterest has a different teen playbook, and why Australia’s under-16 ban isn’t sticking

• An AI-generated ‘Cat in the Hat’ trend has disrupted schools in at least three states since late August: Posts featuring a reimagined Dr. Seuss character, some naming specific schools or students alongside vague warnings or threats, prompted police responses in Colorado, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Law enforcement in Colorado arrested a 14-year-old high school student connected to one post, and in most cases authorities determined there was no real danger.
• New Pinterest research shows teens use the platform to search rather than scroll: More than 77% of teen users actively search for what they want to find instead of passively scrolling, and they access feed settings at nearly twice the rate of other age groups. Pinterest is expanding its school-hours reminder to more than 30 countries after sending those notifications to 4.5 million teens, and it is launching a teen resource called Protect Your Energy.
• Eight months into Australia’s under-16 social media ban, usage is climbing back: About 26% of teens ages 13-15 are on TikTok, compared with 27% before the ban, and usage among children ages 10-12 is higher than it was before the restrictions. WhatsApp, which is not restricted, jumped from 27% to 36% among teens 13-15. Australia doubled penalties to $70 million and has fined no one.

The Gist

A trend going viral on social media featuring AI-generated images of a reimagined Dr. Seuss character has spread across multiple states. Some posts include specific school names or student names alongside vague warnings or threats. Law enforcement in Colorado even arrested a 14-year-old high school student connected to a post about the trend. While many posts started as pranks, some escalated into content that caused concern in schools and communities.

What to Know

The posts began circulating in late August, and schools in states such as Colorado, Arkansas, and Tennessee have had to respond. Police departments across multiple states have investigated reports and are working with school administrators to determine whether any posts represent credible threats. In most cases, authorities decided that there was no real danger, but the spread of the content still created disruption.

What stands out is not just that the content circulated, but how quickly it spread and how students participated in sharing it. Some students created their own versions while others shared posts without even thinking about the impact. Authorities encouraged students, their families, and school administrators to report concerning messages instead of continuing to share them further.

TSI’s Take

Students make choices every day about what they share online. When they understand that their choices reach their entire school community and more, they think differently about their actions. Educators can help students make high-character choices when trends like this become popular by helping them:

• Understand online amplification: When students see that one share reaches hundreds of more people than the original post, they weigh that tap as a decision instead of a reflex.
• Recognize how AI content gets made: A post like this takes one prompt and about a minute to create, so students who learn to ask who generated this and why can tell a manufactured meme apart from a real warning instead of treating every scary image as fact.
• Handle the pressure to join a trend: Students see classmates racking up reactions and want to post their own version before the joke gets old, so give them practice deciding what they gain by posting and what they lose.

Help your students think through what they share online with the #WinAtSocial Lesson, Online trending challenges.

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The Gist

Pinterest has released research showing how teenagers use its platform differently than other social media. More than 77% of teen users actively search for things they want to find instead of just passively scrolling. They access their feed settings at nearly twice the rate of other age groups, using features to customize what they see. The platform reported that some of the key search topics among teen audiences are sketch tutorials, drawing references, anime styles, and bedroom décor, emphasizing how often the app is used for real-world projects.

While Meta faces lawsuits over platforms designed to maximize scrolling time, Pinterest is positioning itself as a discovery tool where users find ideas and close the app to create them.

What to Know

The research reveals a shift in how platforms can engage young users. Teens using Pinterest report they spend less time on the app per week than they do on other social media platforms. Rather than competing for attention by keeping users scrolling, Pinterest’s model rewards users for finding what they need and then exiting the app.

Pinterest is also expanding its school-hours reminder feature to more than 30 countries. It has already sent these notifications to 4.5 million teens encouraging them to step away during school. Additionally, the platform is also launching a new resource called Protect Your Energy, which is designed to help teens connect their digital habits to their mental and physical health.

Early data suggests these reminders are part of a broader strategy where the platform gives users tools to control their experience instead of tools designed to keep attention. The Protect Your Energy resource marks another shift; instead of hiding how the platform works, Pinterest is being transparent about the connection between digital habits and well-being.

TSI’s Take

When students are equipped with the right tools and skills to control how they interact with apps, they often surprise adults by making high-character decisions. Pinterest is taking a step in the right direction at providing the tools. Educators can provide the skills by:

• Teaching students to recognize design patterns: Help them see the difference between platforms built to keep them scrolling and platforms built to let them leave.
• Helping students understand their own choices: When students notice they’re spending less time on one platform, ask them why and what’s different about how it’s designed.
• Empowering students to use platforms with purpose: Not all screen time is created equal. Using tech and social media as a tool to support creative hobbies or help with studying is much different than passively scrolling for hours.

Help students navigate platforms with purpose with the #WinAtSocial Lesson, Tech features and screentime, where they learn how different tech features impact their attention and well-being.

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The Gist

Eight months after Australia banned under-16s from TikTok, Instagram, and other social media, usage rates are climbing again. About 26% of teens ages 13-15 are now on TikTok. Before the ban it was 27%. Usage among younger children ages 10-12 is higher than it was before the restrictions started, and the same pattern is showing up for both Instagram and Snapchat.

What to Know

Tech-savvy students are finding ways around the ban. Some use virtual private networks (VPNs) to hide their location, and others misrepresent their age during signup. Usage of WhatsApp, which is not restricted, jumped from 27% to 36% among teens 13-15. This reveals that many students shifted to a different platform rather than staying off social media.

Eight months is still early, but Australia’s own government said in June that platforms were complying poorly. The country doubled penalties to $70 million, yet has fined no one. To the students and platforms living it, it can feel more like a test of an unenforced rule rather than proof about bans in general. Dozens of governments are watching anyway, which means school communities in the US may face a version of this conversation soon.

TSI’s Take

Students do not stop wanting to connect with their friends because adults ban a platform. They find alternatives. What actually impacts student behavior and well-being is helping them develop judgment about technology use. Educators can help by:

• Equipping students with skills rather than banning with restrictions: When students protect their privacy like they’re famous or handle the pressure to reply right away, that judgment follows them to Instagram, to Discord, and to whatever launches next.
• Preparing them to make the healthy choice at bedtime: Choosing to strike a balance and stop the scrolling for the night and get some rest is a behavior worth celebrating.
• Coaching on what students amplify and who they follow: Australia’s ban did nothing about either. Students who use their mic for good ask what a post does to the person reading it, and students who find their influencers fill their feeds with positivity. Those two habits shape a feed more than any age restriction does.

Teach students how apps and algorithms are built to keep us hooked with the #WinAtSocial Lesson, One more scroll vs. one more goal, where students can also envision what the “apps of the future” could look like to help us cut down on our device usage.

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Educator questions about this week’s stories

What is the ‘Cat in the Hat’ social media trend?

It is a trend that began circulating in late August 2026 featuring AI-generated images of a reimagined Dr. Seuss character. Some posts include specific school names or student names alongside vague warnings or threats, which is why schools in states such as Colorado, Arkansas, and Tennessee have had to respond and police departments have investigated. Law enforcement in Colorado arrested a 14-year-old high school student connected to a post about the trend. Many posts started as pranks, and in most cases authorities determined there was no real danger, but the spread still created disruption.

How is Pinterest different from other social media platforms for teens?

According to research Pinterest released this month, more than 77% of teen users actively search for things they want to find instead of passively scrolling, and teens access their feed settings at nearly twice the rate of other age groups. Teens also report spending less time per week on Pinterest than on other social media platforms. Top teen search topics include sketch tutorials, drawing references, anime styles, and bedroom décor. Pinterest is expanding its school-hours reminder to more than 30 countries, has sent those notifications to 4.5 million teens, and is launching a resource called Protect Your Energy that connects digital habits to mental and physical health.

Is Australia’s social media ban for under-16s working?

Eight months in, usage is climbing back. About 26% of teens ages 13-15 are now on TikTok, compared with 27% before the ban, usage among children ages 10-12 is higher than it was before the restrictions started, and the same pattern shows up for Instagram and Snapchat. Students use VPNs to hide their location or misrepresent their age at signup, and many shifted to unrestricted platforms: WhatsApp use among teens 13-15 jumped from 27% to 36%. Australia’s own government said in June that platforms were complying poorly, and the country doubled penalties to $70 million but has fined no one.

#WinAtSocial gives schools the lessons and teacher support to build the exact skills these stories call for, from handling the pressure to join a trend and questioning who made a piece of AI content and why to using apps with purpose and striking a balance with devices. #WinAtSocial Lessons are standards-aligned and student-led, so they fit the classes teachers already teach. Want to see how it looks in your school? Request a demo and we’ll walk you through it.

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