A weekly brief for parents and educators
A short brief on what kids are into online, rated from harmless to serious, with what to say.
A creepy face said to pop up in kids' videos and hand out dangerous dares. Police and child-safety groups found no confirmed case.
Nothing, unless the warning posts scared your kid. If they did, that's the part to talk about.
"Have you heard about that Momo thing? It turned out to be made up. Did it scare anyone at school?"
A meme phrase with no fixed meaning. Kids say it whenever the numbers come up, often with a hand gesture like weighing two things.
Nothing. It's funny to them because it means nothing.
"Okay, show me how the hand thing goes."
Games and videos where players pay real money for a random chance at a rare item. It works a lot like gambling.
Look at what spending is switched on in their games, and set a limit together.
"What's the best thing you've ever unboxed? How many tries did it take?"
Example cards. Real cards link their sources.
The slang guide has plain meanings for the words kids use, and how much each one matters. Usually, not at all.
The scale
Every trend gets exactly one rating, so you can tell in a second whether to lean in, keep an eye out, or act.
Harmless, and a way into your kid's world.
Slang like "aura," songs, Roblox games
Publishes on its own
Neutral, but worth understanding.
Aesthetics, fan communities, platform shifts
Publishes on its own
Real, but nuanced. Keep an eye on it.
Looksmaxxing, gambling-style games
Publishes, then a person spot-checks
Documented harm, with what to do about it.
Sextortion, dangerous challenges
Waits for a person to approve it
A viral scare that isn't real, or is badly overstated.
Recycled hoax warnings
Waits for a person to approve it
Our approach
We tell you to relax as often as we tell you to pay attention.
Scary posts spread because they're scary. Every Mistlift brief includes at least one thing that's fine, or one scare that turned out to be fake.
DebunkedRelax, this one's fake.
ActThis one's real. Here's what to do.
Inside a card
Each card answers three questions: what is it, how much does it matter, and what do I say.
Someone poses as a teen online, gets a private photo, then demands money or more photos and threatens to share it. Teen boys are targeted most.
Tell your kid the rule before anything happens: if anyone threatens them, they come to you, they don't pay, and you won't be angry.
"If anyone online ever threatens to share a picture of you, tell me. You won't be in trouble. We'll fix it together."
Stop replying, don't pay, and keep the messages. Report it to Cybertip.ca. NeedHelpNow.ca helps get images taken down.
Sources linked on every card. Re-checked weekly.
Two ways to read
The facts stay the same. What changes is what the card leads with.
Videos about improving your looks, from skincare and haircuts to extreme diet advice. Mostly watched by teen boys.
Most of it is grooming and gym advice. Pay attention if it turns into skipped meals, or real distress about their face or body.
Ask which of these creators they think are fake. Teens are often more skeptical than we expect, and they like being asked.
For schools
When a scare reaches the staff room, check the card before the email to parents goes out. Same cards, same sources, plain enough to forward.
Find out if the warning going around is real before your school repeats it. Debunked cards say so plainly, with sources.
Look up the word or the challenge in seconds and know whether it calls for a conversation, a call home, or nothing at all.
Every card has an opener parents can use at home. Share the cards instead of a slide deck of scary headlines.
A school edition is in the works. Sign up as an educator below and you'll hear about it first.
Behind the brief
We read widely so you don't have to. A person decides anything serious.
We check news, police and child-safety bulletins, and public platform trends several times a day.
When the same thing shows up in more than one place, it gets a card in English and French.
Every source is verified, and anything that could teach a kid how to do harm is taken out.
Act and Debunked cards wait until a person approves them. Nothing serious goes out unreviewed.
Every card is confirmed again each week. If a trend has gone quiet, the card is retired.
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