Young Canadians in a Wireless World, Phase IV: Encountering Harmful and Discomforting Content Online

Young Canadians in a Wireless World (YCWW) is Canada’s longest-running and most comprehensive research study on young people’s attitudes, behaviours and opinions regarding the internet, technology and digital media. This report highlights findings related to how often youth come across harmful and discomforting content, including racist and sexist content and pornography, in which online spaces they most often see it, and how they tend to respond to it.

British Columbia - Economics 12

Big Ideas

Financial and economic literacy promotes the financial and economic well-being of both individuals and businesses.

Business creates opportunities to enable change.

Tools and technologies can be adapted for specific purposes.

Curricular Competency

Students are expected to be able to do the following:

Applied skills:

Evaluate safety issues for themselves, co-workers, and users in both physical and digital environments

Outcome Chart - Ontario - Kindergarten

Belonging and Contributing

Overall Expectations:

Communicate with others in a variety of ways, for a variety of purposes, and in a variety of contexts

Specific Expectations:

1.2 listen and respond to others, both verbally and non-verbally (e.g., using the arts, using signs, using gestures and body language), for a variety of purposes and in a variety of contexts

Outcome Chart - Manitoba - Human Ecology 8

Clothing and Textiles

Overall Expectations:

GLO 2.2: Develop understanding of culture within clothing/textiles.

Specific Expectations:

5.2.2.1 Identify factors that influence clothing/ textile choices (e.g., family, peers, media, culture, role, environment, religious, social, ethical, economics).

Language 1-8

The Language grades 1-8 released in 2023 is based in part on the principle that “a modern English curriculum reflects emerging technologies and their impact on communication and digital media literacy,” which is defined as combining “the ability to combine the multimodal properties of media literacy with the technological capabilities of digital literacy.”

Research and Evaluation - Our Approach

Through a community-based research approach, our projects honour participants’ diverse range of digital media literacy strengths, experiences and expertise. We design projects that create safe spaces for participants to share their thoughts, experiences, concerns and solutions about digital media literacy issues. We aim to empower participants by providing them with knowledge and skills that they can take with them as they continue to navigate the online world and digital technology.

Outcome Chart - Manitoba - Human Ecology 11

Family Studies

Overall Expectations:

GLO 3.4: Demonstrate understanding of mental health and wellness.

Specific Expectations:

11.3.4.2 Describe mental health challenges affecting children and adolescents

11.3.4.3 Describe factors that have an impact on child and adolescent mental health.

11.3.4.4 Identify strategies that reduce the stigma associated with mental health in society

11.3.4.5 Identify where and how to access mental health services.

Young Canadians in a Wireless World, Phase IV: Online Meanness and Cruelty

Young Canadians in a Wireless World (YCWW) is Canada’s longest running and most comprehensive research study on young people’s attitudes, behaviours and opinions regarding the internet, technology and digital media. This report is the first of two reports focusing on relationships and technology. This report highlights how often and where youth experience, witness, and engage in online cruelty as well as the reasons or motivations for their engagement. In the report, we also summarize findings related to how young people respond to online meanness and cruelty and from whom they seek support in navigating these harmful experiences.

Young Canadians in a Wireless World, Phase IV: Online Privacy and Consent

Young Canadians in a Wireless World (YCWW) is Canada’s longest running and most comprehensive research study on young people’s attitudes, behaviours and opinions regarding the internet, technology and digital media. This report highlights findings related to how youth share and protect their personal information online and how they manage their identities in online spaces; how youth do or do not engage in various privacy practices like reading terms of service or using privacy settings; how youth feel about various forms of interpersonal and corporate surveillance online; and how various rules and practices in the home and between adults and youth can impact online privacy.