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25 to 48 of 74 cards
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Violent extremism among teens
A Québec teen with extremist views was arrested after posting online threats against a school, a rare but serious case that shows why hateful talk and threats should never be brushed off as jokes.
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Squishy microwave burns
Doctors report some serious burns in kids who heated squishy stress toys in the microwave to make them softer, because the toys can burst and the liquid inside gets much hotter than the surface feels.
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Deepfake nudes
AI-made fake nude images of real people, often classmates, are reported as common among young people, and a recent report found only about 30% of teens say a teacher has ever discussed safe AI use.
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Tanmaxxing
Tanmaxxing is a trend where teens deliberately tan as intensely as possible, often without sunscreen, and post the results online; dermatologists warn it raises skin cancer risk, but it is a risk of appearance pressure rather than something designed to hurt.
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Teen takeover
Teen takeovers are large meet-ups of teens organized through social media; in one recent US case a gathering turned into fights and arrests, so the risk is a crowd getting out of control, not the idea of meeting up.
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AI sexual deepfakes (nudify)
A US survey reported by CNN found nearly 1 in 5 teens made, or know someone who made, AI-generated sexual images, often of people they know, and most teens fear being targeted.
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AI companions
Chatbots built to act as a friend or romantic partner are widely tried by teens, and the emotional dependence they can create is prompting regulators, such as China's new rules, to step in.
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Nicotine pouches
Small smokeless nicotine pouches, which are flavoured, easy to hide and addictive, are drawing growing attention as youth use rises, and a recent US regulatory decision allowing a lower-risk claim for adult smokers has critics worried about teens.
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AI nudify deepfakes of teens
AI tools can turn ordinary photos of teens into fake nude images that get passed around among classmates or used to threaten and extort, which is a real harm to the teens pictured even though the images are fake.
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Com networks
UK police warn that online groups known as Com networks reach kids through gaming or music communities, move them to private channels, then pressure them into harm; this is an early warning from one relayed source, not yet a confirmed local pattern.
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Nicotine pouches
A Canadian study of 17 to 27 year-olds found about a third have tried nicotine pouches, up from under one in ten in 2022, which makes nicotine dependence a real but manageable concern for parents.
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Body image and social media
A Québec survey reported in the press found that 58% of 12-17 year-olds would like a different body shape (up from 48% ten years ago), and researchers link the way teens use social media, especially appearance-focused scrolling, to lower self-esteem.
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Anonymous TikTok bullying accounts
Anonymous TikTok accounts invite students to send in nasty messages about classmates, which the account owner reposts, so a school's teens can be publicly humiliated in front of hundreds of viewers.
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Nicotine pouches
Small flavoured pouches that deliver nicotine through the mouth, with no smoke or vapour, are being marketed hard to young people, and the WHO warns they can cause strong dependence early.
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Vaping
Vaping is common among teens, and a Université Laval study of nearly 7,000 Québec students found that dependence is the barrier teens who want to quit mention most often.
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Looksmaxxing
Looksmaxxing is a creator-driven push for teen boys to radically "optimize" their looks, and experts link the extreme versions to body dysmorphia and eating problems.
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Criminal recruitment of teens for extortion
Montreal-area police say criminal groups recruit teens online to carry out threats, arson and vandalism against shopkeepers, which puts teens at risk of danger and criminal charges even though most never meet the people behind it.
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Grooming risk on Roblox
A Canadian federal briefing flagged adults using Roblox to groom children and to push hateful content, while Roblox says it has strong safety tools; the game itself is popular and mostly fine, but the risk is real enough to stay alert.
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The Com
Experts warn that violent online networks known as The Com, including one designated a terrorist entity in Canada, groom vulnerable kids on mainstream games and apps, then move them to private encrypted chats where they coerce them into harming themselves or others.
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AI-generated child abuse imagery
A UK child-protection watchdog reports record levels of realistic AI-made child sexual abuse images and videos in 2025, with video rising sharply; it is mainly an adult-driven crime, but it matters for parents because fake images can use real children's likenesses and making or sharing them is illegal.
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Misogyny among students
Teacher unions in Québec report more misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic remarks and gestures among students, which can hurt classmates and get kids who join in into trouble at school.
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AI companions
Chatbot apps that act as a friend or romantic partner are growing, and the main concern for teens is emotional dependence and pulling away from real-life relationships, not the technology itself.
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Virtual kidnapping scam calls
Scammers use AI-cloned voices that sound like a child to fake a kidnapping and pressure parents or grandparents into paying, even though the child is safe.
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Addictive algorithms lawsuits
Families, school boards and state governments in the US are suing big social platforms, saying their recommendation design hooks young users and harms their mental health, and the first big trials may set precedents.
New cards, every Monday.
The Mistlift brief sums up what kids are into online this week, rated from harmless to serious, with what to say.