Young Canadians in a Wireless World (YCWW) – formerly known as Young Canadians in Wired World – is Canada’s longest running, and most comprehensive research study on young people’s attitudes and behaviours regarding the internet, surveying over 20,000 parents, teachers, and students since 2000.
Digital literacy report highlights youth perspectives on device use in the classroom and negotiating trust with parents
February 5, 2020 - A new Canadian report highlights the need for more research and resources to help parents, educators, and policymakers work with youth to develop the skills they need to thrive in today’s digital world.
In 2019, MediaSmarts conducted focus groups with youth ages 11 to 17 and their parents to better understand what is working for young people online and what needs to be changed or improved so that young people get the most out of their online experiences and their interactions with digital technology – both at home and in the classroom. Through these conversations we discovered that youth are deeply aware of the pitfalls and benefits of digital technology. This research calls attention to how we might help youth across Canada be more resilient online – with more balance, trust and support – and formed the foundation for the development of our national survey with students across Canada.
One of the hardest things to do as a parent is let go.
Ottawa, ON – February 11, 2020
In celebration of Safer Internet Day, MediaSmarts and YWCA Canada are proud to launch a series of digital literacy workshops to help empower under-represented women from communities across the country.
One of the hardest things to do as a parent is let go.
In this lesson, students learn about the “sneaky excuses” that can convince us to do things that we know are wrong. After learning about the different types of these excuses, students watch and discuss a series of videos in which the excuses are used to justify forwarding sexts without the original sender’s consent. Finally, students create their own videos in which the excuses used to justify sharing sexts with other people are illustrated and most importantly, countered.
As a parent, you may find some relief in learning that fewer youth take and send sexts (nude or semi-nude photos) than you may think. However, almost half of youth who have taken and sent a sext say that the recipient then forwarded that image to other people without their consent. This culture of sharing among youth is a major concern and can have devastating consequences for the person in the picture and the person who forwards it.
Half of Canadian youth aged 16 to 20 have been sent a sext (a nude, partly nude or sexy photo) that they didn’t ask for. Whether you call them sexts, nudes, naked selfies or just pics, if you receive an intimate image like this, it’s your job to make the right choice about the sender’s privacy. There is no excuse to forward a sext that someone sent you.