PALM SPRINGS, CA — A viral social media trend has raised concerns Thursday from parents and families across the country, prompting warnings from Palm Springs Unified School District officials and local law enforcement.
The "Cat in the Hat" trend refers to images and videos depicting the Dr. Seuss character apparently lurking outside of schools, homes or other places at night apparently though artificial intelligence, according to ABC News.
District officials said that in some cases the content references specific schools, communities or individual students, prompting investigations from law enforcement in several states.
A high school student was arrested Monday in Grand Junction, Colorado for allegedly making a post in connection with the trend, ABC News reports.
However, there have been no reports of any students targeted or exposed by the trend within the district.
The district shared the following tips to any students if they see or receive a threatening, disturbing or concerning post or message:
— Do not respond to or engage with the content;
— Save evidence of the post or message, such as a screenshot when it is safe to do so;
— Tell a trusted adult immediately, such a parent, teacher, counselor or school administrator, and
— Report any threat or immediate safety concern to law enforcement.
"We also encourage families to talk with their children about responsible social media (usage) and the importance of speaking up when something online makes them feel unsafe or concerned. Even content intended as a joke can cause fear, disrupt school and require significant school and law enforcement resources to investigate," district officials said in a statement.
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