Families Canada was pleased to partner with Youth Digital Compass to host a webinar on supporting young people in today's digital world. 

During the session, presenters Yulan Pan and Valerie Friedenberg shared practical, research-informed strategies to help parents, caregivers, and family support professionals navigate topics such as cyberbullying, online safety, upstander strategies, and digital kindness. 

Participants learned about the realities of young people's online experiences, including social media use, gaming platforms, and emerging risks such as cyberbullying and AI-generated content. Rather than focusing solely on monitoring and restrictions, the team at Youth Digital Compass encouraged adults to build trust, foster open communication, and become positive digital mentors in children's lives. 

The discussion highlighted the importance of creating safe spaces for young people to talk about their online experiences, teaching critical thinking skills, and empowering youth to become "upstanders" who support others when they witness harmful behaviour online. 

The webinar also emphasized that not all screen time is the same. When used thoughtfully, digital spaces can help young people build friendships, learn new skills, express creativity, and find supportive communities. 

Families Canada is grateful to Youth Digital Compass for sharing their expertise and to everyone who joined the conversation. Together, we can help create safer, kinder digital environments where children and youth can thrive. 

To learn more and access free resources for families, educators, and youth, download a free Handbook for Families in English and French and visit youthdigitalcompass.com. 

Families Canada