An unsettling “Cat in the Hat” trend spreading across TikTok, Snapchat and other social media platforms is drawing attention from school officials and law enforcement in Kentucky and Tennessee. The viral posts appear to use AI-generated images and videos showing a sinister version of the familiar Dr. Seuss character. What began as creepy internet content has become more serious after some posts started identifying real schools, communities and students alongside threatening messages.
Officials in both states have made an appeal to students, parents and school employees to report suspicious posts rather than engage with or share them.
