The holidays are here and so are new online risks

We made it to the first week of December! The holidays are so special no matter what phase you’re in—new baby haze, teen moods, empty nest, full house, or somewhere in between. And if you’re the one doing most of the rushing around to make the magic (hi, moms 👋), here’s your gentle nudge from us: bring a little magic to yourself, too.

It doesn’t have to be big or Insta-worthy. A solo hot chocolate in the car. A 20-minute walk with your favourite podcast. Ten minutes in your bedroom with the door locked and a candle that smells like “I have my life together.” Make a quick list of what matters, then drop what doesn’t. Truly…let it go. Do this with your kids, too. Ask them: “What are your top three must-dos this month?” Keep those. Release the rest. The holidays don’t have to be chaotic.

And if you are the one dashing for gifts or if you already scored a deal on a new phone for them, grab our Screen Sense Guide too. We’ve extended our Cyber Monday sale just for newsletter subscribers: 20% off until 11:59pm ET tonight. Pop it in your cart, use code CYBER20, and breathe easier all season.

—Cat & Nat

“Pics or it didn’t happen” is officially over

You may have seen the viral Nano Banana AI image generator stories, tools that can create real photos so convincingly that even pros struggle to tell. Recent examples: an employee faking an injury with a shockingly realistic edit; before/after images that look utterly legit; and growing coverage from mainstream outlets. This means imagery online is no longer automatic evidence. That changes… well, everything! From school group chats to family texts. Check out the image below… The one on the left is what we’ve come to expect from an AI generated photo of a person – sheeny, perfectly airbrushed, and clearly AI-generated. The image on the right is generated by Nano Banana Pro and could have been taken from any young girl's photo album.

As moms, we’re feeling this hard. Our kids were raised on “pics or it didn’t happen.” Now we need to pivot fast. Here are 3 things we’re doing today:

1. Creating a family & friend verification method.
   We’ve set a simple protocol: if someone sends a shocking photo/video or asks for money/help urgently, the new rule is to verify through a second channel (a quick call, a known video codeword, or a family group check) before reacting or resharing.

2. Say it plainly: photos ≠ proof.
   We’re literally teaching our kids this sentence. We practice with examples: “If you wouldn’t believe a random screenshot, don’t automatically believe a polished photo either.”

3. Building a healthy sense of doubt.
   Not cynicism, just curiosity + checks. We ask: How does this photo make me feel? Am I shocked by this? Who posted it? Who benefits? Is any reputable outlet reporting it? Does it exist on multiple credible sources? (And yes, we Google reverse-image when something feels off.)

Where the harm is actually happening online

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection talked to 1,279 Canadian teens (13–17) who were sexually victimized online and asked them where and how it happened. Their answer is blunt: it’s happening in private spaces (the DMs, video calls, and closed groups) not out on the public feed. Nearly 86% said the abuse took place in those one-to-one or small-group channels. And when teens named platforms, Snapchat topped the list because about 39% said that’s where it happened.

The report also paints the day-to-day picture parents rarely see: more than half of victims had unwanted nude/sexual images sent to them, and one in six said a fake/AI nude was made of them. Even more frustrating, only 20% reported their victimization to the app, and of those who did, 67% waited over a day for anything to be removed. Meanwhile, teens overwhelmingly want adults to step in at the policy level. 93% think Canada should legally require platforms to prevent harm (not just promise they’ll try).

So what do we do with this? We focus where the risk lives. That means treating DMs as the front door (who can message, how to leave/report), doing a quick Snapchat safety pass together (contact settings, Snap Map, reporting), and making sure your kids know that private spaces are not safe. Screen Sense can help with all of this if you’re not sure where to start. Check it out here.

Toronto, this is our December to Remember show week! We’re on stage Friday and absolutely buzzing about it! This feels like the official kickoff to our holiday season. If you’re in the area and haven’t snagged tickets yet, we’d love to see you there. It’s going to be the best. Beyond the best. We can’t wait to see our Canadian community IRL!! Grab your tickets here.

And hey—if the holidays bring up complicated feelings for you (or your family), we see you. You don’t have to subscribe to the full holiday hoopla. You can opt out of traditions that don’t fit, set boundaries, and keep things quiet and gentle. This time of year can also be a soft reset: pick one tiny habit that supports you (a nightly stretch, stepping outside before bedtime, texting one friend a day), and let that be enough. You are allowed to protect your peace.

If part of protecting your peace means keeping gift-giving simple, especially if you’re feeling stuck or too drained to hunt for something “just right” for the tween or teen in your life, we’ve already done the legwork. Here’s our gift guide for girls, and here’s our gift guide for boys.

We’ll catch you next week!

—Cat & Nat