A national social media trend involving the children's book "The Cat in the Hat" has reached Tennessee, as state officials alerted the public about the phenomenon targetingschools and children.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security took to social media on Aug. 31 to warn the public about the rise of unsettling and threatening Dr. Seuss content on social media, urging those who see the pictures and videos to report them to local law enforcement.
"The Tennessee Office of Homeland Security’s Threat Assessment Center is tracking the online 'The Cat in the Hat' trend targeting Tennessee schools and students," the Department of Safety wrote in its post.
"If you see this content, which features unsettling AI-generated videos and images,
please report it to local law enforcement or to the Threat Assessment Center through the #SafeTN app or our website."
Tennessee is not the only state where this AI-generated content has been posted. According to Texas and Tennessee authorities, "The Cat in the Hat" social media fad started in Europe before reaching the U.S.
What is 'The Cat in the Hat' trend?
Across the country, users have created and shared AI-generated or digitally altered content depicting a creepy and menacing version of the Dr. Seuss character. Often, the posts show the character lurking outside homes, schools, or neighborhoods at night.
In many instances, the villainous depiction is accompanied by text suggesting that the character is going to pay a visit to the school, town, home, or person in question.
What has alarmed schools and authorities, including the Department of Safety, is that the posts have evolved beyond basic horror content, naming and threatening specific schools, communities, and individual students.
What to know about Tennessee's response to the 'The Cat in the Hat' phenomenon
"The problem is a lot of these images have dark or unsettling undertones, and even worse, they're overlaid with threats," Department of Safety Deputy Commissioner Greg Mays said during a Sept. 1 press conference.
"Threats to a school, threats to a person, or a group of people, or threats to the community. And that's where it crosses the line."
During the presser, Mays mentioned that "The Cat in the Hat" threats and content have popped up across the entire state, noting that the social media movement started in Europe.
"It's not always obvious to the investigator who posted what," said Mays regarding the investigation process. "The other thing that makes it difficult is when parents or members of the community who are genuinely concerned, instead of reporting it to law enforcement, just cut, paste, and repost. All that does is continue the cycle of more."
Mays urged anyone and everyone to report these types of cases to law enforcement. Furthermore, the Deputy Commissioner encouraged parents to talk to their children about the viral occurrence to make them aware of the impact and consequences.
"There are consequences for making those threats. You can look at 'The Cat in the Hat' all you want to and look at creepy pictures or whatever, but don't use them to threaten people."
Mays added that those found responsible for posting threatening 'Cat in the Hat' material and similar content can face charges of making a threat of mass violence against a school and harassment.
What other states have reported alarming 'Cat in the Hat' content?
In addition to Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky, Colorado, Michigan, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Ohio have all reported similar instances.
In the Coastal Bend region of Texas, near Corpus Christi, several schools increased security as a result of the The Cat in the Hat social media episode, reported KII-TV. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said there was no direct threat to the schools, and DPS Sgt. Harold Mallory said the trend started in Europe before reaching the U.S. and Texas.
Multiple districts in Kentucky also reported threats tied to "The Cat in the Hat." Louisville's Assumption High School closed on Aug. 31 due to perceived threats against the school linked to it, theCourier Journal reported. The high school returned to class the following day, Sept. 1.
According to the Courier Journal, districts across Kentucky have reported threats made in recent days, some of which correlate with "The Cat in the Hat."
Several schools in McCracken County, Kentucky, near Paducah also reported threats, which resulted in the arrest of a 15-year-old in Florida, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.
As of now, no Tennessee schools have canceled class because of the "The Cat in the Hat" phenomenon.
How to report disturbing 'The Cat in the Hat' content if you see it
To report any suspicious activity tied to the trend, people can report it through the Department of Safety'sThreat Assessment Center.
Peter Burditt covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact him at PBurditt@nashvill.gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Creepy 'Cat in the Hat' AI trend targets Tennessee schools. What parents should know
