Laws, Rules and Personal Morality

It’s important to make young people aware of the laws that apply to what they do online, as well as to have household rules that cover online behaviour.

Challenging Racism Through Media Education

Media Awareness Network resources address racism and hate

Ottawa, March 21, 2006 – In recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Media Awareness Network (MNet) today encouraged teachers to integrate media and diversity education into the classroom.

Searching and Finding

The strength and weakness of the internet as a research source is just how much information there is: a badly-phrased search can drown you in irrelevant, misleading or unreliable results. This is why some research has shown that companion reading can actually backfire if people don’t have effective search skills..

Diversity and Media Toolbox: Portal Page

The Diversity and Media Toolbox is a comprehensive suite of resources for teachers, students, law enforcement representatives and the general public, that explores issues relating to stereotyping, bias and hate in mainstream media and on the Internet. 

Digital Media Literacy Framework - Grades 7-8

Given their increasing use of the Internet to find information, now is also a good time to introduce strategies for determining authorship and authority of online information so they can recognize good health information, biased or hateful content, and online scams and hoaxes.

At this age media influences on gender norms and body image are becoming more intense. Children need to learn to apply key media literacy concepts to online spaces such as social networks.

How the Media Defines Masculinity

Families, friends, teachers and community leaders all play a role in helping boys define what it means to be a man. Mainstream media representations also play a role in reinforcing ideas about what it means to be a “real” man in our society. In most media portrayals, male characters are rewarded for self-control and the control of others, aggression and violence, financial independence and physical desirability: “for boys, violence and dominance are aligned with norms of masculinity.”

Will social media affect teens’ job prospects?

I have teens, but up until recently they didn’t have social media accounts (although, I suppose Discord may count as one). 

They hadn’t had much interest in the past, other than a few requests for Snapchat and Instagram that came and went almost as quickly as they were mentioned. But recently, my eldest asked again about Instagram and through conversations together it seemed like the logical time to get one.