Ottawa, ON (May 29, 2014) – There is little gender difference in those youth who have sent a sext of themselves – defined as “a sexy, nude or partially nude photo” – to someone, although sexts of boys are more likely to be forwarded,– according to a study of Canadian students released today by MediaSmarts. Boys are also more likely than girls to have forwarded a sext sent to them and are twice as likely to report having received a sext that was forwarded by someone other than the original creator.

Ottawa (May 7, 2014) - MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) are pleased to announce that the theme for Canada’s ninth annual Media Literacy Week (November 3-7, 2014) will focus on the positive uses of social networking by young people.

Ottawa, ON (March 31, 2014) – Canadian youth are not as digitally literate as adults may think they are, according to new research released today by MediaSmarts. Though today’s young people have grown up immersed in digital media, they still rely on parents and teachers to help them advance their skills in areas such as searching and verifying online information.

Ottawa, ON (March 18, 2014) – New national research indicates that Canadian youth face a range of mean and cruel online behaviours with varying degrees of seriousness and impact – with girls more likely than boys to be the recipients.

Ottawa, ON (February 19, 2014) – Canadian youth worry about their online privacy and take steps to control who can see what they post, and more importantly, how other people see them, according to new research released today by MediaSmarts.

14 February 2014 – The Information and Communications Technology Council and MediaSmarts are pleased to note that they successfully hosted a jointly-organized Youth and Digital Skills Symposium: Preparing young Canadians to make social, economic and cultural contributions event on February 10. We are deeply grateful to the contribution by all of our participants in shaping a highly stimulating and valuable event.

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Ottawa, ON (January 22, 2014) – Canadian children and teens are more connected to the online world than ever through a variety of portable devices, and more connected to others through social networking, according to new research released today by MediaSmarts. Although boys and girls have different experiences online, the Internet is an important source for seeking information, entertainment and socializing for all young Canadians.

Ottawa, ON (November 4, 2013) – MediaSmarts, Canada’s centre for digital and media literacy, recognized the start of Canada’s 8^th annual Media Literacy Week with the release of a series of new resources and activities for parents, teachers, children and youth.

The week, which runs from November 4 to 8, is hosted by MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF). Activities are taking place across Canada to recognize the importance of media and digital literacy skills for young people.

Ottawa, ON (November 1, 2013) – To kick off the eighth annual Media Literacy Week, high school students from across Canada spent the morning discussing marketing and consumerism with a panel of experts. The students, who are taking part in the Encounters with Canada youth forum program, explored a wide-range of marketing issues affecting youth, including food advertising, body image, marketing practices on cell phones and apps and alcohol and tobacco promotions.

Ottawa, ON (October 1, 2013) – In recognition of Cyber Security Month, MediaSmarts—a Canadian centre for digital and media literacy—has launched a series of digital citizenship resources. Stay on the Path: Teaching Kids to be Safe and Ethical Online is a new program for parents and teachers to teach young people to be ethical online citizens.