MediaSmarts Tags - Online Gambling

Someone encountering the Internet for the first time might be forgiven for assuming it was created specifically for teenagers. Indeed, the Internet could reasonably be said to have been aging backwards since its birth – the domain first of scientists and the military, then of university students in the 1990s and now children and teenagers.

Gambling is an issue that parents rarely talk about with their children, but easy access to online gambling sites has made this a pressing issue that needs to be addressed with young people. In this section, we offer parents and teachers resources for discussing this topic with children and youth.

Approximately four to six per cent of Canadian high school students are addicted to gambling and another 10 to 14 per cent is at risk of developing an addiction -- which means that they already show signs of losing control over their gambling behaviour. [1]

Young people are increasingly turning to Internet gambling, which is anonymous and convenient. A study of Montreal, Quebec high school students showed that nine per cent have gambled for money on the Internet. [2]

Level: Grades 9 to 10

About the Author: Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts

Duration: 2 hours

Overview

This two-day lesson looks at the increasing prominence of gambling in the media, particularly movies and television. Students are asked to look critically at how gambling is portrayed, in comparison to its reality, and to consider how that portrayal affects how people perceive the risks and rewards of gambling.

Learning Outcomes

This tutorial aims to teach students essential digital literacy skills through simulating their favourite online experiences. The tutorial is divided into four chapters, each of which focuses on a particular aspect of digital literacy: researching and authenticating online information, managing privacy and reputation, dealing with online relationships and using digital media in an ethical manner.

Level: Grades 11 to 12

About the Author: Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts

Duration: 2 hours

Overview

This lesson looks at the ways in which online gambling draws in youth and increases the risk that they will become problem gamblers. Students learn about behaviour modification theory and apply that knowledge to understanding why gambling, and online gambling in particular, is likely to lead to problem gambling in youth.

Learning Outcomes