The White Hatter

10/05/2025

Tonight, we received a call that underscores why our work matters so much. A 15-year-old Canadian teen reached out to us after becoming the target of a sextortion scheme that began on Discord and later moved off-platform to Telegram. Once the intimate image was shared, the trap was sprung.

To their credit, this teen did exactly what we wish more young people would do, they turned to a parent for help. Unfortunately, our experience shows that many don’t, held back by shame, fear of judgment, or worry that their parent or caregiver will overreact.

After contacting their parent, the family reached out to local police. They were told that nothing could be done beyond filing a report and assigning a case number. While it may be true that police cannot always identify or locate an offender, there is still much that can be done from a trauma-informed perspective to support victims in crisis. This is especially urgent when suicidal thoughts emerge, a reality we’ve seen too often. In Canada alone, at least five teenage boys we know of have died by su***de after being targeted by sextortion.

Even in the midst of his panic, this teen confided in trusted friends. One friend told him to call us. He searched for The White Hatter online, found our number, and reached out.

We spent just over thirty minutes with him on the phone. During that call, we walked him through our after-action protocol, helped him stabilize emotionally, and guided him from “red alert” panic to a calmer “yellow alert” state. At one point he broke down, started to cry, and said, “Thank you. You saved my life.” He said this because he had been seriously considering su***de as an option.

When people ask us why we do what we do, this is the reason. This is why we answer the phone, email, or text message. This is why we continue to educate, support, and stand beside youth, parents, and caregivers. Because sometimes one conversation can make the difference between despair and hope.

Parents and Caregivers, talk to your kids about sextortion, not just once but multiple times. More importantly, given them a big hug tonight and let them know that no matter what happens in their life, no matter how bad something may be, you will still love them unconditionally, and will not overreact to any kind of disclosure, and that they can always come to you for help!

The White Hatter

10/04/2025

Calling all young Canadians (17–23): help shape the future of AI in Canada! What a GREAT opportunity. If you know a young person who has an interest in shaping the use of AI in Canada send this link to them. As a side note, this would also look good on a resume. https://www.mediatechdemocracy.com/gen-z-ai

10/04/2025

10/04/2025

AI-Generated Shorts: They Are Borrowing A Page From TikTok’s Playbook To Capture Attention

The short form video format changed the way youth consume media. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels popularized endless feeds of rapid fire, algorithmically chosen clips that hold attention by design. Now, we’re entering a new phase. Meta AI has launched Vibes, and OpenAI has rolled out the Sora 2 app, both of which allow users to create and share AI generated short videos in feeds that look and feel very much to us like TikTok.

This development raises an important question for us here at the White Hatter, “What happens when the world’s most powerful AI algorithms don’t just recommend videos, but actually generate them on the fly for highly influenceable audiences?”

To read our full article on this topic click this link https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/ai-generated-shorts-they-are-borrowing-a-page-from-tiktok-s-playbook-to-capture-attention

10/03/2025

Please Mom & Dad, All My Friends Have An iPhone & Snapchat!

As parents and caregivers, few decisions feel as weighty as deciding when and how to introduce your child to their first phone. It’s a rite of passage for many families, but it also comes with significant risks. At The White Hatter, we don’t recommend starting with a fully functioning fusion phone (smartphone). Instead, we suggest minimalist phones such as the Pinwheel Phone, or the WisePhone, for younger kids the Garmin Bounce watch, these are devices that allow calling and texting but do not connect to web browsers or social media platforms.

One of the most common objections parents and caregivers hear from their child is, “All my friends are on Snapchat or Instagram. If I can’t join them, I’ll be left out.” We get it, this plea can tug at the heart of parents and caregivers. No parent wants their child excluded from their peer group.

To read our full article on this topic click this link https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/please-mom-dad-all-my-friends-have-an-iphone-snapchat

10/03/2025

Why Phone Pouches Don’t Teach Digital Literacy - But Is There a Better Solution? A White Hatter Product Review of The “Doorman” App.

Many schools use phone pouches to limit distractions in classrooms, but these approaches teach compliance, not digital responsibility. The Doorman app, created by three Gen Z entrepreneurs, offers an alternative by restricting phones, both iPhones and Android phones, to school approved functions only, while still allowing emergency use if needed. In this review, we provide how our testing and evaluation of this new product found this application to be customizable, affordable, and another viable option for schools to consider when it comes to promoting self-regulation and digital literacy, over pouch type strategies.

To read our full test and evaluation review of this application, click this link https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/why-phone-pouches-don-t-teach-digital-literacy-but-is-there-a-better-solution-a-white-hatter-pr

10/02/2025

Trampolines, Bouncy Houses, Cellphones Oh My!

Calls to “get kids off phones and back outside” overlook that outdoor play has risks too. Each year, 1,200 Canadian youth are hospitalized from trampoline injuries, yet we don’t ban trampolines, we add safety nets and supervision. The same harm reduction approach should guide digital parenting: building “safety nets” like parental tools, family agreements, and open conversations instead of blanket bans.

To read our full article on this topic click this link https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/trampolines-bouncy-houses-cellphones-oh-my

10/01/2025

When Impressive Titles & Qualifications Overshadow Good Evidence Based Research!

CAVEAT -The internet is currently awash with misinformation and disinformation about everything from the causes and treatment of autism to the effects of technology on youth and teen brains. What’s troubling is how often these narratives sidestep the scientific method and disregard evidence-based research in favour of pushing agendas. Too frequently, these messages are delivered by people with impressive titles, wrapped in scientific language, or framed in fear tactics that make them sound credible even when the evidence does not support their claims.

Recently, we watched a popular technology podcast, where a clinical psychologist (PhD) spoke about the impact of technology and social media on youth and teens. We are always searching out good evidence based research to help guide our teachings. However, within the first ten minutes, the expert claimed that:

“ a brain hooked on interactive screens and digital media looks just like a brain hooked on co***ne or heroine, same neural pathways, and it is the same addiction networks”

What The FRICK! and this was't the most outrageous thing this person had to say. To read our full article click this think https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/when-impressive-titles-qualifications-overshadow-good-evidence-based-research

10/01/2025

AI is evolving fast, and some are weaponizing it. In one chat we monitored, sextortion scammers were excited about using deepfake AI to trick teens during live video calls. If you have a teen, especially a son, share this with them. That “hottie from California” on their screen could actually be a 60-year-old predator on the other side of the world targeting them for sextortion. (Obviously real person in bottom left of screen)

09/30/2025

If you are a police agency in Canada or the USA looking for multi-award winning presenters to educate your School Resource Officers, Youth Officers, Gang Officers on the current lay of the digital landscape when it comes to youth and teens and their use of technology, the internet, and social media, connect with us. We bring 30yrs of policing experience to this topic that provides a unique insight. www.thewhitehatter.ca

09/30/2025

Interesting - contrary to what Dr Haidt and those who promote his work have stated publicly that UNESCO supports his findings https://www.tes.com/magazine/teaching-learning/general/jonathan-haidt-anxious-generation-right-about-smartphones

Fact checking is so important to ensure that messaging is not skewed to fit a political or financial agenda

09/30/2025

There are countless public service announcements (PSAs) aimed at parents and caregivers about kids, online safety, and smartphones. Many repeat the same claims. We recently reviewed a new PSA advocating for raising kids to be smartphone-free. https://youtu.be/Io26Ohm7sEU

Claim 1: There Is Inappropriate Adult Content Online
Claim 2: There Are Too Many Hateful People Online
Claim 3: Anyone Can Buy Illicit Substances Online
Claim 4: “Mean Kids”
Claim 5: Bad Guys

Do the claims hold up to scrutiny?
Are the suggestions realistic?
Do they actually prevent harm?

Read the review:
https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/post/smartphone-free-psa-review

There are countless public service announcements (PSAs) aimed at parents and caregivers about kids, online safety, and smartphones. Many repeat the same clai...