Education Library Blog

The most recent results from the Young Canadians in a Wired World study have just been released, and they indicate that “children live in a fishbowl created by fear and surveillance, and that anti-cyber bullying programs are ineffective”. 

“When we first began collecting data in 2000, adults described the Internet as a useful source of information. Today, the majority see the Internet as a source of fear and home to unknowable threats to their children,” said Jane Tallim, Co-Executive Director at MediaSmarts (formerly known as Media Awareness Network).

Among Canadian children, the Internet is no longer the fun, private zone it was a decade ago. Children feel they are living in a fishbowl, under watchful eyes. The report also notes that, according to students, ant-cyberbullying programs aren’t working. Kids feel that adults who monitor their every move tend to exaggerate issues and pathologize everyday behaviour. As a result, students tend not to turn to teachers for help. Instead, they employ their own online coping strategies, such as ignoring or blocking interactions. 

To download this report (or previous reports), click here. 

This post was taken from the MediaSmarts press release.