Cyber Safety in the News

Del Oro Girls’ Softball Team Gives Up Phones For A Month To Shocking Results On And Off The Field

CBS News, June 5, 2025

The Del Oro High School girls’ varsity softball team in Loomis, California, embarked on a unique “digital detox” during the 2024–25 season by trading in smartphones for basic flip phones for a full month. The initiative was sparked by a student-parent conversation about reducing screen time and doubled as a fundraiser to install lights on their field. All twenty-seven team members participated, locking away smart devices and relying on flip phones with no apps or social media, inspiring community support as the team advanced to third place in the state.

The detox was not only about reclaiming focus; it had measurable effects. With help from the Amen Clinic, one player had brain scans before and after the month-long break, showing increased blood flow to regions involved in decision-making and impulse control. Test scores and content retention also improved, though some players experienced withdrawal-like anxiety, highlighting teens’ struggle with self-regulation. Experts noted the results suggest digital breaks can enhance mental clarity and social connection, which may have contributed to the team’s strong on-field performance. We offer options for students who are looking to start a digital detox of their own.

‘Sextortion’ Scams Involving Apple Messages Ended in Tragedy for Boys

The Wall Street Journal, June 7, 2025

Criminals are exploiting teenagers, particularly boys, through a disturbing “sextortion” scam conducted via Apple’s iMessage. Perpetrators typically pose as teenage girls on social platforms, gain a victim’s trust, then move the conversation to Messages. There, they coax teens into sharing explicit content (often AI-generated or stolen) and then threaten to expose it unless the victim pays a ransom. Trust in iMessage’s “blue‑bubble” security makes these scams especially effective, since teens are more inclined to trust communications within Apple’s ecosystem. In 2024 alone, over 5,000 sextortion incidents were reported to the U.S. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), with approximately 34% involving phone messaging apps, a statistic that is rising in 2025.

The repercussions have been tragic: reports of teenagers dying by suicide after receiving extortion demands underscore the real human toll of these scams. While Apple does offer a “communication safety” feature to blur nudity and warn under‑age users, it is not comprehensive for teens over thirteen and lacks tools for reporting threatening messages. Experts and law-enforcement officials are urging Apple to enhance in-app safety, improve reporting options, and educate parents and teens on recognizing these threats before they escalate. Our focus is to educate both students and parents on what those initial scammer messages may look like and the dangers of sextortion scams.

Teen Was Blackmailed with A.I.-Generated Nude Photo of Himself, Then He Died by Suicide

People Magazine, June 9, 2025

A 16-year-old Kentucky teen named Elijah “Eli” Heacock tragically died by suicide after falling victim to a sextortion scam. The scammer sent him AI-generated nude images purporting to be of Eli and demanded $3,000 to keep them private. Reports suggest Eli may have paid some of the money, but the demands continued. When his family saw the threatening messages on his phone at the hospital, they involved local law enforcement and the FBI, who confirmed that the photos were fake and part of a growing sextortion trend targeting youth.

The FBI warns that scammers do not need real photos to exploit children—they use AI imaging and psychological manipulation to extort money. Parents of victims often have little awareness of how severe and insidious these scams can be. In Eli’s case, the scammer escalated their threats even after receiving payment, demonstrating the ruthless and relentless nature of these criminals.

Eli’s parents are now advocating for greater public awareness and legislative action to curb sextortion. They warn that without education and legal protections; more teens could become victims of digital exploitation with devastating consequences. At Cyber Safety Consulting, we work to educate students on sextortion, so that they can recognize the early warning signs of a scam and protect themselves. This article also reminds readers that anyone feeling distressed can reach out to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for support.

Washington D.C. Public Students Will Soon Be Barred from Using Phones in School

The Washington Post, June 9, 2025

D.C. Public Schools (DCPS), serving more than 52,000 students will prohibit the use of cellphones and other personal electronic communication devices (including smartwatches, Bluetooth earbuds, laptops, and tablets) during the school day, beginning in the 2025–26 academic year. Exceptions will be made for educational purposes or for students with medical or accessibility needs. Each school has flexibility in implementation and most plan to have students store devices in lockers or magnetic pouches. The decision follows positive results from a two‑year pilot in middle schools, which showed improvements in student focus, learning outcomes, and teacher–student relationships.

The policy aligns with a national trend: several states, including Virginia, California, and Florida, have already introduced similar bans to combat concerns over mental health decline, classroom distractions, and cyberbullying. The D.C. Council is considering a broader city‑wide ban that would include charter schools, but DCPS is moving ahead with its own rule in fall 2025. Though some parents worry about being unable to contact their children in emergencies, district officials state that school communication systems, including robocalls, texts, and emails, are sufficient, and that removing personal devices reduces distractions during crises. We are seeing this trend from many schools across the country.

ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, According to a New MIT Study

Time Magazine, June 23, 2025

In a controlled experiment, MIT Media Lab researchers enlisted fifty-four adults (ages 18–39) across three groups: those writing SAT-style essays using ChatGPT, using Google search, and without any technological assistance. EEG measurements revealed that the ChatGPT group exhibited the lowest neural engagement, showing reduced activity in brain regions linked to creativity, memory, and attention. Their essays were also deemed repetitive and lacking originality, and by the third essay many participants simply copy‑pasted AI-generated responses.

In contrast, participants who wrote on their own displayed higher brain connectivity, indicating deeper cognitive involvement and greater satisfaction with their work. Those using Google search showed similar strong engagement. When ChatGPT users were later asked to revise an old essay without AI assistance, they struggled to recall their writing, suggesting a lack of memory encoding or internalization.

The researchers caution that while AI tools like ChatGPT offer efficiency, they may undermine long‑term learning, particularly in developing brains. The pre‑peer‑review study urges educators and policymakers to integrate AI thoughtfully, prioritizing active learning and brain engagement over convenience. The team is already exploring similar effects in programming education, with early results indicating even starker decreases in cognitive activity.