The Cat in the Hat – and other scary videos on social media
| Time to read:5 minutes
A so-called “The Cat in the Hat” phenomenon is currently spreading on social media. The trend was noticed a while ago in Sweden, where videos related to the phenomenon reached several schools across the country, and now it appears to have landed in Finland as well. What is this trend about, and how can adults foster a sense of security in children when frightening content spreads on social media?
What is the "Cat in the Hat" trend all about?
Particularly on TikTok, videos are currently being shared claiming that the "Cat in the Hat" character, originally known from children's books, has been spotted in various locations. Disturbing text and frightening music have been combined with the images and videos. In Sweden, the videos have even contained threats naming specific municipalities, schools, or individuals. The newspaper Kaleva has reported that sightings of the cat character have been made in Finland as well.
What is real and what is AI?
Swedish public television broadcaster SVT has investigated the phenomenon and found that there are some genuine videos on social media where people have dressed up as the cat character. However, a large portion of the circulating material is generated by artificial intelligence. The background of the cat character has been edited so that it appears to be in a specific place or location, even if the photo was never taken there.
With AI, creating believable images and videos is easy nowadays, and distinguishing the real thing from a fake can be difficult.
The phenomenon follows a familiar pattern
This is not the first time frightening or threatening content has spread rapidly among children and young people. We have seen similar waves before, such as the "killer clown" trend that raged a few years ago.
Unfortunately, it is common for these kinds of videos to gain momentum quickly due to platform algorithms. The content is designed to evoke strong reactions and fear, which causes users to watch the video to the end and share it further.
What these trends have in common is that they often start abroad, reach global distribution, and end up being shared by local youth. Among children and adolescents, rumors of sightings spread rapidly, even if the character hasn't actually been seen anywhere.
Now, AI is also accelerating the spread of rumors. It makes it easy to create authentic-looking videos showing the cat character somewhere. A fabricated video can look like proof of a rumor, and the rumor in turn increases interest in new videos.
How can an adult prepare for the situation?
Even if the scary videos are not real, they can cause anxiety and feelings of insecurity in a child, such as the fear that the cat character will appear at home or at school. It is important to talk about the topic with children and find out whether they have seen something distressing online. Give the child space to share their thoughts and feelings. If a child has seen something concerning online, keep the following in mind:
- Take the concern seriously and create safety: Show the child that their concern is understandable. Reinforce the sense of security by explaining that adults are keeping the situation under control and nothing bad will be allowed to happen.
- Explain the background: Speak openly with the child about how these videos are sometimes created solely to scare others, because the creators know that scary content spreads quickly. Some videos may initially be just a game or a prank that got out of hand and went too far. Also explain that not all "sightings" are real, and that AI-generated videos are hard to distinguish from the real thing.
- Discuss online ground rules: Encourage the child to tell an adult immediately if they encounter something scary online. Remind them that such videos should not be made oneself or shared with others, as that only fuels unnecessary fear.
- Help with reporting: Go through with the child how inappropriate content can be reported directly in the app, and how the child can block accounts that spread disturbing material.
By being present and discussing online phenomena openly, we support children's safe use of social media.
For school staff
- Remind students that they can always get help and support from adults at school if they have questions or feel worried.
- It is important to inform and keep guardians up to date if videos or content related to the school start spreading on social media. Information sent home eases concern and prevents the spread of misinformation.
Someturva is here to help
Someturva’s emergency response unit and experts are happy to support students, school staff, and guardians who feel concerned about this trend or other online incidents. Thanks to our special status as a Trusted Flagger, we can report illegal material directly to the platforms.
If your school uses Someturva and you see disturbing videos or would like advice from our legal experts and psychologists, you can submit a report at palvelu.someturva.fi.
There are no known cases where these posts have resulted in actual acts of violence or attacks. However, if concrete threats are directed at a school or individuals, they must always be taken seriously by following the school's crisis and safety plan, or in cooperation with the police.
Emergency or ongoing danger: 112
Writers
Someturva Emergency unit specialists