Withholding screens as punishment
Submitted by Lynn Jatania
on 28 April 2020
MediaSmarts Blog
Do you read our blog? Please support MediaSmarts by making a one-time, tax-deductible, small charitable donation so we can continue to keep our media literacy resources up-to-date and copyright cleared for you to use in your homes, schools and communities.
Your child’s first phone: how old should they be?
Submitted by Lynn Jatania
on 20 April 2020
I remember when the iPad was first released back in 2010. Shortly after it came out, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were spotted at a restaurant letting their daughter Suri, who was four years old at the time, play on their iPad while they waited for their food.
Internet memories and storytelling: what do you keep?
Submitted by Lynn Jatania
on 13 April 2020
My middle daughter hates looking over my shoulder when I’m on my Instagram account and seeing that I have many, many unwatched “stories.”
Stories in Instagram are usually short video clips that are temporary – they exist for 24 hours and then they are gone. You can save favourite stories as ‘highlights’ that live on your profile, but for the most part they’re intended to disappear.
Young Canadians Speak Out: A Qualitative Research Report on Privacy and Consent
Submitted by MediaSmarts
on 31 March 2020
Informed Youth Promote Clarity for All
It’s something we’ve all done before: scrolled past a wall of text to click “I Agree” with no idea what we’ve agreed to. Then, when we’re using the platform, messages like “We’ve made some changes to our Terms and Conditions” simply remind us that we probably didn’t read them in the first place. Our world is becoming more and more influenced by the data that’s being collected about us. For young people in particular, this can lead to serious and unexpected consequences that could affect their entire lives.
Helping kids stay in touch while social distancing
Submitted by Lynn Jatania
on 23 March 2020
It’s looking more and more like social distancing could go on for several months. Our school board has announced that computer-based learning from home will be introduced shortly; other provinces have announced school closures running through to the end of the year and we expect ours to follow suit soon.
Social media and screen time during a pandemic
Submitted by Lynn Jatania
on 17 March 2020
We’re living in a strange and uncertain time. Already, as parents, we’re feeling our way to the right set of rules and guidelines for screens and social media. But now that we’re facing an extended time of quarantine and social distancing, the rules are bending and changing every day.
Keeping up with kids in a wireless world
Submitted by MediaSmarts
on 9 March 2020
By Samantha McAleese, research associate at MediaSmarts and
David Fowler, vice-president, marketing and communications at CIRA.
Building towards autonomy on the internet
Submitted by Lynn Jatania
on 18 February 2020
One of the hardest things to do as a parent is let go.
Building towards autonomy on the internet
Submitted by Lynn Jatania
on 18 February 2020
One of the hardest things to do as a parent is let go.
Younger siblings and social media rules
Submitted by Lynn Jatania
on 8 January 2020
Our youngest daughter, who is in Grade Seven this year, is moving up the social media ladder.
She has her own tablet to use on the Wi-Fi at home and recently got her own Instagram account. She’s really loving the ability to share pics with her friends and chat with them online – especially because her two older siblings have been Instagramming and texting for at least three years now.