The Digital Well-Being of Canadian Families

In this study, MediaSmarts conducted a survey of 825 parents of children from birth to 15 years old to learn more about their digital family life; specifically, the digital technology uses and activities of their children, their parenting style, and the opportunities and challenges that digital technology brings to parenting and family life in Canada. The results of this study emphasize that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for digital well-being in families. However, one consistent pattern is the importance of digital literacy in tipping the scales in favour of the positive effects of digital technology use in Canadian families.

Building Better Tech Habits: A Guide to Digital Well-being

Screen time is one of parents’ top tech-related concerns, according to MediaSmarts’ research, and it’s the most common source of tech-related conflict between parents and young people in Canada. Kids are worried about their screen use too: almost half say they spend too much time on their phones.

Screen time and well-being - Fact Sheet

“Digital technology can have both positive and negative effects on child well-being, depending on the activity and how much time is spent.”^[1]

• Very high levels of screen time are connected to poor mental well-being
• Very low levels are as well
• There’s a large middle ground with no direct connection to well-being ^[2]

“Screen time” is important…but not as important as what kids do with their screens:

Building Digital Balance: A Family Guide to Google's Safety and Well-Being Tools

When it comes to digital wellbeing, one of the most important things is to establish an ongoing conversation with your children about their online lives. There is no one size fits all; every family can develop strategies that work best for them. But having access to a wide range of tools can help you adapt those strategies at every stage of your kids’ journey. Here are some of the key principles for those conversations:

Digital Literacy

British Columbia’s Digital Literacy Framework, introduced in 2015, defines digital literacy as “the interest, attitude and ability of individuals to use digital technology and communication tools appropriately to access, manage, integrate, analyze and evaluate information, construct new knowledge, and create and communicate with others.” It is divided into Research and Information Literacy; Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making; Creativity and Innovation; Digital Citizenship; Communication and Collaboration; and Technology Operations and Concepts, and provides targets in e

What is Digital Citizenship?

Digital citizenship is the ability to navigate our digital environments in a way that's safe and responsible and to actively and respectfully engage in these spaces. 

Digital Citizen Day: Teaching digital citizenship

Raising Digitally Resilient Kids

The Raising Digitally Resilient Kids parent workshop outlines how parents and guardians can support children’s well-being and help them balance the risks and benefits of digital media. Based on insights from MediaSmarts’ research with youth, the workshop provides an overview of online risk categories and provides resources and essential strategies that participants can take to manage these risks.

Digital Literacy 101

While MediaSmarts’ research shows that teachers place considerable importance on teaching their students digital literacy skills such as authenticating information, managing privacy, addressing cyberbullying, and being safe online, evidence suggests this is not reflected in Canadian classrooms. The intent of these resources is to support teachers in implementing digital literacy into their teaching practice and to help them to develop digital literacy lessons and activities that suit their students' needs.