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Family Online Rules

MediaSmarts’ research has shown that kids with household rules about Internet use are less likely to do things like post their contact information, visit gambling sites, seek out online pornography and talk to strangers online. Having a family agreement or set of rules for using the Internet is also a great way for parents and kids to work together on how to be safe, wise and responsible online.
Digital Citizenship, Internet & Mobile

First Do No Harm: How to be an active witness - Tip Sheet

Did you know? Two-thirds of Canadian students have helped someone who was being picked on online. When you see or hear bad things happening online, you have a lot of power to make things better – or worse. Sometimes it’s hard to know the right thing to do, so ask yourself these questions:
Cyberbullying, Internet & Mobile, Parents

Four tips for managing your kids’ screen time

Minimize screen use, especially for the youngest children:
Digital Health, Excessive Internet Use, Internet & Mobile, Parents, Resources, Television, Video Games

Getting the goods ethically

One of the most common ethical decisions kids face online relates to how they access and use content like music, games and videos. We can help kids make better choices by teaching them about the issue: in one study, one-quarter of young people said that they would stop accessing content illegally if it was more clear what was legal and what wasn’t.
Authenticating Information, Cyber Security, Digital Citizenship, Intellectual Property, Internet & Mobile, Online Ethics

Getting the Goods on Science and Health – Tip Sheet

Here are three tips to help you find good information about health and science topics.
Authenticating Information, Digital Health, Internet & Mobile

Help! Someone shared a photo of me without my consent! – Tip Sheet

You can start by asking the person who shared it to take it down or stop sharing it. Kids report that this works more often than not! Ask the service or platform where it was shared to take it down.
Cell Phones and Texting, Cyberbullying, Digital Citizenship, Gender Representation, Sexting, Sexual Exploitation, Social Networking

Helping kids cope with media coverage of war and traumatic events

The intense media coverage that accompanies traumatic events, such as war, acts of terrorism and natural disasters, can be very disturbing. Certain young people are particularly vulnerable and some can be seriously distressed simply by watching replays of such events. Parents, educators, health practitioners and others who work with kids can help to lessen anxieties arising from the coverage of catastrophic events.
Journalism & News, Television

Helping kids get a healthy start with phones

Phones and other media are a big part of kids’ lives, and they can be a healthy part too. Here are some ways that you can make sure your kids get the best possible start when using media and digital devices.
Cell Phones and Texting, Digital Citizenship, Digital Health, Internet & Mobile

Helping young kids get a healthy start with devices

Screens and other media are a big part of kids’ lives, and they can be a healthy part too. Here are some ways that you can make sure your kids get the best possible start when using media and digital devices.
Digital Citizenship, Digital Health, Internet & Mobile

How to discourage plagiarism

Somewhat surprisingly, it’s not only struggling students who plagiarize: indeed, it may be students who are under pressure to achieve who are more likely to engage in the subtler (and harder to detect) forms of plagiarism1. Researchers have identified three situations where this is most likely: when students are under pressure (such as when work must be done with a tight deadline, or a work is particularly important for their grades); when students are not interested in the work; and when students feel that the assignment is unfair to the point where they have no hope of success without cheating2.
Authenticating Information, Digital Citizenship