Ottawa, ON (Feb. 21, 2023) - New research conducted during the pandemic by MediaSmarts found 32% of young Canadians ages nine to 17 have experienced online meanness and cruelty, 49% have witnessed it, and 17% have engaged in this behaviour.
Halloween is perhaps the most contradictory of the major holidays. Though born in Ireland and other Celtic regions, today it is almost exclusively observed in the form that developed in North America; though closely associated with the imagination, it has been thoroughly commercialized, becoming an opportunity for children to buy costumes and then acquire candy (today it is the second largest commercial holiday in the US, after Christmas); and finally, though it is the holiday most closely associated with children, it is also one that has, traditionally, been all about fear.
One of the most unusual things about Internet-based businesses is that few of them try very hard to make money. Of course, with a very few exceptions (such as Wikipedia) making money is certainly in the business plan, or there wouldn't be all that venture capital floating around, but in general the approach has been to come up with a good product or service first, and only look for ways to make it profitable after it's acquired a steady clientele. Hugely important and successful ventures like Google, YouTube and Facebook all started out operating at a significant loss. This pattern continues today: it's already hard to imagine the Internet without Twitter, but so far that service isn't earning its makers much money (though you can be sure they're looking for ways to do that.)
Skill Descriptor:
Demonstrate knowledge of health habits that have a positive impact on self.
Achievement Indicators:
Conduct an audit of personal health habits
Develop a personal plan for healthy living
Assess the effectiveness of various health habits to prevent the spread of communicable diseases
It’s hard to think of a recent digital technology issue that’s captured the public imagination more than sexting. This may be because it combines elements of the classic moral panic with more modern “technopanic,” provoking worries not just about the morality of our children – and, in particular, young girls – but also about the possible effects of technology on how we grow, think and behave. As with most panics, of course, the issue is substantially more complicated and less sensational than we perceive it to be, and while it’s unlikely that our worries about sexting will ever seem in retrospect to be as absurd as our grandparents’ fears about crime comics, MediaSmarts’ new data shows that many of our beliefs and assumptions on the subject need closer examination.
Traditional media like film, print and music still have a significant impact on young people’s body image. Research has found that even news coverage can promote weight bias by how it portrays people in larger bodies, both in photographs and in how it frames weight and health.
General Learning Outcome:
GLO 1.1: Describe and apply appropriate health and safety practices
Specific Learning Outcomes:
SLO 12B.1.1.1 Describe and practice online safety.
Was “digital detox” or “reduce screen time” on your New Year’s resolution list, but it’s not really happening? Maybe you’ve been glued to recent world events or news happening right in Canada and feel like you can’t put the phone down? You aren’t alone.
Students will…
3. Assess textual, numerical, aural, and visual information, as well as the source of the media, to determine context, perspective, bias, and/or motive. (G-3.2)
4. Self-assess ICT representations and go beyond established criteria by enhancing meaning and/or artistry, according to topic, audience, purpose, and occasion. (Pr-3.2)