The White Hatter

11/04/2025

This Thursday, Nov 6th, we are hosting a live virtual presentation on Artificial Intelligence at 6:00 p.m. (PST).

The Topic - what every parent, caregiver, and educator needs to know about the current state of Artificial Intelligence from a safety, security, privacy, and ethics standpoint.

For those who register, there will also be access to a recording of this live event for 48hrs, so that if you live in a different time zone, you can still have the opportunity to watch.

Here's the link to register: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/raising-ai-ready-youth

11/04/2025

No Law or App Can Replace a Parent: The Real Key to Keeping Kids Safe Online

Caveat - This is a follow-up article to the one we just posted titled, “Why Social Media Legislation in Canada Isn’t as Simple as It Sounds, & Why Parents & Caregivers Can’t Afford to Wait!”

Politicians and advocacy groups often call for tougher laws, harsher penalties, and stricter regulation of big tech. These discussions are important. Platforms must be held accountable for how they design and moderate their products. Legislation like the Canadian Intimate Images Protection Act demonstrate how laws can set clear standards and improve accountability. However, as mentioned in the article in the caveat, passing legislation that targets social media vendors is challenging in Canada.

However, unlike what some believe, legislation alone cannot prevent most of the harm young people experience online. Laws shape environments, but they cannot shape values, relationships, or the daily choices that define a youth or teen’s digital life. The real source of safety has always been engaged parenting, informed guidance, and digital literacy education.

To read our full article on this topic click this link: https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/no-law-or-app-can-replace-a-parent-the-real-key-to-keeping-kids-safe-online

11/04/2025

Tuesday, on the Live show, we’re talking about:

Seeing headlines about your Gmail being “hacked”? That’s not exactly what happened. Some politicians believe AI chatbots should be banned for youth. On the other hand, Google’s NotebookLM, one of the best free AI research assistants, received major new improvements. Samsung is also looking to add ads to its smart fridges.

Whether you’re a student, a parent, or a working professional, Join us for insights, laughs, and live discussions that make the online world easier to understand! Catch the live chats on Youtube, Tuesdays, at 4PST or 7EST

https://youtube.com/live/z_D4fuiXUzY

11/03/2025

*** DON'T FORGET*** to register for our live stream event this Thursday Nov 6th, starting at 6pm PST. The Topic - what every parent, caregiver, and educator needs to know about the current state of Artificial Intelligence from a safety, security, privacy, and ethics standpoint.

For those who register, there will also be access to a recording of this live event for 48hrs, so that if you live in a different time zone, you can still have the opportunity to watch.

Here's the link to register: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/raising-ai-ready-youth

11/03/2025

Why Social Media Legislation in Canada Isn’t as Simple as It Sounds, & Why Parents & Caregivers Can’t Afford to Wait!

When headlines call for “stricter laws” to hold social media companies accountable for the harms young people face online, it sounds like a clear solution. However, in Canada, the reality is far more complicated. Unlike Europe, where countries can pass sweeping online safety and “child protection by design” laws with relative independence, Canada is bound by a trade agreement called “The Canadian, United States, Mexico, Agreement” (CUSMA) that quietly limits how far it can go.

Understanding this helps explain why meaningful child protection legislation here in Canada has been slow, and why parents shouldn’t wait for laws to fix what can be addressed at home right now given the current political environment between Canada and the United States.

To read part 1, of this two part series click this link https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/why-social-media-legislation-in-canada-isn-t-as-simple-as-it-sounds-why-parents-caregivers-can

Part 2 will be posted tomorrow

11/02/2025

Have you been on a website, or watched a video online, where a “pop up” continually appears asking you for your email so that you can access and download their free content?

When a company or organization advertises “free” resources but requires you to provide an email address to access them, they aren’t truly free. This process is part of what’s known in content marketing as an email drip campaign.

An email drip campaign is an automated series of messages sent over time to your email, often tailored to your interests or actions. The intent is to gradually guide you toward a specific goal which often benefits the sender monetarily. These campaigns are designed to build and maintain engagement in a steady, non-intrusive way, and are widely used across marketing, education, and non-profit sectors.

We here at the White Hatter do not engage or use email drip campaigns for our free material. All our blogs, articles, posts, guides, and reviews, are free to access on our site, without a parent, caregivers, or anyone else having to supply their email first.

Digital Food For Thought

The White Hatter

Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech

11/02/2025

Fear of Tech Distracts Us from the Real Threats Facing Youth and Teens - The Hidden Truth Behind Youth Vulnerability

When digital literacy and internet safety educators say, “Nothing is more scary than allowing your kids access to technology and the internet,” they usually mean well. Technology can feel overwhelming, parents and caregivers are often told to fear what their kids might see or do online. However, statements like this miss a deeper and more inconvenient truth, the greatest threats facing many youth and teens today are not created by technology. They are amplified by the real world conditions happening offline inside homes, schools, and communities.

When we fixate on the dangers of social media or screen use, we risk overlooking what so many young people are truly struggling with. Across Canada, thousands of youth face challenges that are far more immediate and life-altering than what’s trending on TikTok

To read our full article click this link: https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/fear-of-tech-distracts-us-from-the-real-threats-facing-youth-and-teens-the-hidden-truth-behind-you

11/01/2025

Wow - Powerful message (whether true or not) that we read on another SM platform that I wanted to share here as well !

"My name is Holly. I’m 79. I’ve worked the 4 a.m. shift at Hattie’s Diner for 32 years. Not because I need the money, my pension’s fine. But the night shift feels like my shift. The people here? They’re the ones nobody else sees.

Every Tuesday at 5:15 a.m., a boy in a stained T-shirt sits at booth #3. He’s 12. Maybe 13. He never orders. Just stares at the menu like he’s memorizing it. One day, I slid a plate of scrambled eggs and toast to his table. “On the house,” I said. He flinched. “I..... I don’t have money.” I patted his shoulder. “Eggs cost nothing when you’re hungry.”

He ate so fast he choked. I poured him water. Wiped his face. Didn’t ask questions.

Next Tuesday, he came back. Same time. Same booth. I made him pancakes. Left them with a note, “Eat first. Talk never.” He ate. Still no words.

Then, the Thursday before Christmas, he didn’t come.

I saved his seat. Wiped the table. Checked the door every 3 minutes. By 6 a.m., my hands shook. That’s when the real story began.

A woman rushed in, eyes red. “Are you Holly?” she asked. “My son, my little boy, he’s been coming here? He ran away Monday. I thought he was with his dad.... but he’s been here?” She broke down. “He hasn’t eaten in two days. I..... I lost my job. We’re sleeping in the car.”

I didn’t hesitate. I wrapped eggs, bacon, and bread in foil. “Take it,” I said. “Feed him first. Then talk.”

She came back Friday. Brought her son. He sat in booth 3. I gave him a chocolate milk. He finally looked at me. “Thank you,” he whispered.

That’s when I started ordering for the empty chair.

Every shift, I’d put a plate on booth 3, before anyone sat there. Eggs. Coffee. A slice of pie. No name. No bill. Just.... there. Some days, a tired nurse would sit down. A construction worker. A single mom. They’d eat. Nod. Never ask why.

Then, one rainy Tuesday, a new cook, Jenny, 19, saw me set the plate. “Why do you do that?” she asked. I shrugged. “Some folks need to feel seen before they’re hungry.”

Jenny started ordering for the empty chair too. Then the dishwasher. The cashier. Now, every shift, someone leaves food at booth 3. Sometimes it’s taken. Sometimes it’s not. But it’s always there.

Last week, the boy came back. He’s 14 now. He sat at booth 3. Put two dollars on the table. “For the next person,” he said.

The truth?
This isn’t about food.
It’s about knowing someone’s waiting for you, even when you think you’re invisible.
It’s about the empty chair that becomes a promise, “You matter here.”

Today, 17 diners across the Midwest have an “empty chair.” Same rule, Order for the seat before you need it. Just food on a table. A quiet act of rebellion against loneliness.

Remember this,
The world won’t end with a bang. It will end with someone sitting alone in the dark.
So leave a plate.
For the empty chair.
For the one who’s waiting.
For the world you want to live in.”

~ Author unknown

Send a message to learn more

11/01/2025

Don’t Confuse “Uncomfortable” with “Unsafe”: Helping Youth and Teens Navigate the Onlife World

In today’s hyperconnected “onlife” world, where online and offline experiences blend together, it’s easy for parents and caregivers to mistake discomfort for danger. While real online abuse is evil and can leave deep emotional, psychological, physical, and social scars, not all online conflict or unpleasant interaction equals abuse. Yet we’re seeing a growing tendency to treat every uncomfortable moment a child faces online as if it were a threat to their safety.

Tp Read our full article click this link https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/don-t-confuse-uncomfortable-with-unsafe-helping-youth-and-teens-navigate-the-onlife-world

10/31/2025

Youth and Teens Deserve the Truth About Online Risks - Why We Stand Strong On Our Messaging!

One of our beliefs, “knowledge, and the understanding and application of knowledge is power.” However, the power of knowledge only comes when knowledge is understood, applied, and shared openly and honestly. When it comes to the onlife world, that means being open and honest with youth and teens about what the real threats are online, in an age-appropriate way, and what the real consequences of their actions can sometimes be.

Some adults may feel that certain topics we discuss with students, like digital peer aggression, sexting, sextortion, hypersexualization, online po*******hy, or online predation and exploitation, are too “uncomfortable” or “inappropriate”. Even when these topics are some of the biggest risks youth and teens face online, especially for those under the age of 16yrs. Yet, after presenting to hundreds of thousands of youth across Canada, the overwhelming feedback tells a different story. Most students don’t walk away feeling scared, they walk away feeling empowered. They leave knowing how to protect themselves online, how to help friends, and how to take control and critically think about their digital choices. More importantly, it empowers many to come forward to seek help not knowing what was happening was wrong, and not their fault!

To read our full article on this important topic click this link: https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/youth-and-teens-deserve-the-truth-about-online-risks-why-we-stand-strong-on-our-messaging

10/30/2025

Walk the Talk: Modelling Digital Honesty for Our Kids

Recently, we watched a webinar where the presenter spoke about the challenges kids face with technology and social media. One of the topics was filters, how youth use them to create a more polished version of themselves online. The presenter made a valid point that these filters can distort self-image and contribute to unhealthy body comparisons that sometimes lead to serious issues like eating disorders.

We agree with that perspective. However, in the same presentation, the speaker mentioned later on that they were personally using Zoom’s “Touch Up My Appearance” feature, a built-in beauty filter that softens skin and smooths out imperfections, in the very presentation we were watching.

That’s where the disconnect lies. As digital literacy and internet safety presenters, we see this often, where adults tell kids not to chase perfection online while quietly doing the same themselves. It’s these mixed messages from adults that undermines what we’re trying to teach. We personally hear this from students that we present to all the time.

If we want young people to value authenticity and self-acceptance in their digital lives, we need to model it ourselves. It’s not about being flawless, it’s about being real. Walking the talk matters especially for parents, caregivers, and yes, even educators, because youth and teens will model our behaviour.

Just saying!

Digital Food For Thought

The White Hatter

Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech

10/30/2025

The Growing Privacy Concerns Around Smart Glasses: Three Case Studies

Back in August, we wrote about “smart glasses” and the challenges they pose to safety, security, and, most importantly, privacy. At the time, many of our concerns were hypothetical. Today, they are becoming reality. To read more about these three cases studies click this link:

https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/the-growing-privacy-concerns-around-smart-glasses-three-case-studies