Digital media literacy education must be introduced early. It must also be revisited throughout childhood, adolescence and, frankly, into adulthood. It should be part of lifelong learning. For example, it should help to teach parents how to guide their kids' online lives in a supportive way, not through restrictions and surveillance only but by having open and honest conversations about what their kids are doing online and what the risks might be. They should model and show them better ways to behave online.
At MediaSmarts, we have been advocating, for more than a decade, for a national digital media literacy strategy. Canada has fallen behind compared to examples like Finland, the United Kingdom and Brazil. They have implemented national strategies with positive results.
A national strategy would foster a collaborative and community-centred approach to helping youth, educators, parents and all Canadians develop healthier media habits. Most of the countries engaged in regulation efforts have also equally invested in national strategies for lifelong digital media literacy education and learning.
Despite repeated calls for action and investment from multiple studies in Canada over the past 15 years, Canada has still not acted. Once a leader, we have fallen behind many nations, and we will continue to do so unless we act now.