New interactive game helps kids understand privacy policies and terms of use

Ottawa (March 31, 2016) –To help young people make informed decisions when going online, MediaSmarts, Canada's centre for digital and media literacy, has launched a new educational game, Click if You Agree. The game teaches teens and preteens the skills they need to read and understand the legal policies on websites and in software they use. 

National Study Shows that 71 Per Cent of Youth Who Witnessed Cyberbullying Intervened

(November 16, 2015) New research conducted by TELUS WISE in partnership with MediaSmarts and PREVNet has found that youth believe cyberbullying is wrong and are motivated to intervene when they witness it, but would be more likely to do so if adults provided better guidance on managing interventions and were more responsive when incidents were brought to their attention. The research sought to better understand the factors that influence whether or not youth speak up when they witness cyberbullying and their perspectives on how to intervene. The findings provide cause for optimism and highlight the need for adults to support young people's desire to responsibly intervene when they observe cyberbullying.

Privacy education goes mobile

Ottawa, ON (May 21, 2015) – To assist parents and teachers in helping kids manage their online privacy, MediaSmarts is bringing its popular educational game Privacy Pirates to mobile platforms. Privacy Pirates teaches children ages seven to nine about the value of their personal information and how to know when it’s okay to share information online and when it’s best to keep things private.

MediaSmarts launches comprehensive digital literacy framework for Canadian schools

MediaSmarts, Canada’s centre for digital and media literacy, has today launched an extensive new program to support teachers in integrating digital literacy into their classrooms. Use, Understand & Create: A Digital Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools (K-8) is a cross-curricular program that provides teachers with an array of tools to give students the skills they need for the digital age.