Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · 2d

We are pleased to share our latest article on @theconversation.com, where we discuss the findings of our recently conducted survey with more than 1,000 teens aged 13 to 18 across Canada 🇨🇦 about tech-facilitated sexual violence.

More than a quarter of Canadian teens have experienced sexual violence online

A new survey reveals that almost a third of youth have been exposed to technology-facilitated sexual violence. Better protective and educational measures are needed.

theconversation.com

1 2

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · 16d

Can Instagram's new AI tool to detect underage users be really effective?? 🤔

Dr. @kaitlynnmendes.bsky.social weighed in for The Canadian Press about the use of AI to detect underage users, as Instagram tests the tool in Canada.

📰 Check it out here: www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/business/ins...

Instagram using AI to detect Canadian teens signed up for adult accounts

Instagram is testing artificial intelligence in Canada that will identify accounts it suspects belong to teens, even if they list an adult birthday.

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca

2

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Aug 26

📌 Free Webinar Alert! 👩‍💻

Our @kaitlynnmendes.bsky.social will lead a free webinar hosted by AVA Training about technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) and how to talk and support youth.

🗓️ October 22
🕐 12:00 - 1:30 PM MST

Register here: ucalgary.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Jul 31

📌 Open call!

The Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy at @mcgill.ca is accepting applications for Youth Fellows to join their 2025-2026 Youth Fellows Program on Online Safety.

👉 More info www.mediatechdemocracy.com/jobs

Jobs — Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy

www.mediatechdemocracy.com

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Jul 15

We've published our annual report, detailing our progress from May 2024 to April 2025. 📊

See our impact, key accomplishments, knowledge mobilization, research efforts, publications, and more!

Explore what we’ve been up to ⬇️🔗
694cb6a9-ba35-4397-994d-7418024a481c.usrfiles.com/ugd/7d39c0_9...

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Jun 12

📌 Our Nikita Kalwani, @cdietzel.bsky.social and @suziedunn.bsky.social discovered that TFSV, gender-based harms, sexuality-based harms, power imbalances, and intersectionality are not discussed comprehensively or consistently in educational curricula, policies, or legislation.

3

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Jun 12

✨ Publication alert ✨

We are excited to share our most recent publication in the Canadian Journal of Communication, which examines how Canadian secondary schools address TFSV within their educational curricula, policies, and legislation.

Check it out! 👇 cjc.utppublishing.com/doi/10.3138/...

Systems-Level Problems Require Systems-Level Responses: An Intersectional Analysis of Canadian Secondary Schools’ Responses to Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence | Canadian Journal of Communicatio...

Background: Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) is a significant problem for young people and is on the rise in Canada. Young people from marginalized groups are at greater risk of TFSV vict...

cjc.utppublishing.com

1 2 2

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Jun 3

A US teen died after being blackmailed with AI-generated nudes. His family is fighting for change via @cbsnews.com
www.cbsnews.com/news/sextort...

A teen died after being blackmailed with A.I.-generated nudes. His family is fighting for change

Elijah Heacock's parents had never heard of sextortion before their son died by suicide. Now, they're fighting to protect other families.

www.cbsnews.com

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · May 1

📺 Dr. @kaitlynnmendes.bsky.social was interviewed by the CBC regarding the sexual assault trial of five former world junior hockey players. She provides her insights on consent and technology-facilitated sexual violence.

Check it out!

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

RECAP | NHL player testifies about group chat learning of investigation into world junior teammates | CBC

www.cbc.ca

Reposted by DIY Digital Safety

Unifor @unifor.org · Apr 24

ETOP Council attendees learned about tech-facilitated sexual violence — deepfake nudes, sextortion, and digital harassment— and the legal rights of victims.
Moving away from ‘cyberbullying’ language allows for people to seek the right help, said @WesternU sociology prof. Kaitlyn Mendes.

3 5

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Apr 21

On the news 📰 | From trauma to anxiety and depression, how online sexual harassment can seriously harm victims’ mental health via @theconversation.com theconversation.com/from-trauma-...

From trauma to anxiety and depression, how online sexual harassment can seriously harm victims’ mental health

Women who experience online sexual harassment report significantly poorer mental health, including anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.

theconversation.com

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Mar 25

🗣️ Free Webinar on “Understanding Tech-Facilitated Sexual Violence.

Dr. Kaitlynn Mendes will discuss its rise and ways in which we can effectively identify and tackle this violence in our workplaces.

Date: April 1, at 7:00 pm EST.
Register here: bit.ly/42jNJfd

www.unifor.org/news/events/...

Webinar on “Understanding Tech-Facilitated Gender Based Violence”

The Women’s Department is pleased to host a Webinar on “Understanding Tech-Facilitated Gender Based Violence”, presented by Dr. Kaitlynn Mendes, Associate Professor in Sociology at Western University.

www.unifor.org

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Mar 24

📰 Our @kaitlynnmendes.bsky.social was quoted in a recent CBC article about a new anti-women trend on TikTok.

Give it a look! www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

18-year-old says she was secretly filmed in Ontario mall for viral TikTok video deemed as anti-woman | CBC News

An 18-year-old woman is speaking out after she says she was secretly filmed in a London, Ont., shopping mall. The exchange was posted to the social media feeds of a man whose viral videos seemingly ce...

www.cbc.ca

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Mar 6

🤳TikTok investigated over use of children's data: The UK will inspect how the social media platform uses the data of 13 —to 17-year-olds to recommend further content to them.
www.bbc.com/news/article...

TikTok investigated by UK watchdog over use of children's data

It will look into how the social media platform uses the data of 13 to 17-year-olds to recommend content.

www.bbc.com

1

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Mar 6

Dozens arrested in global hit against AI-generated child abuse
(via BBC News) www.bbc.com/news/article...

AI-generated child abuse global hit leads to dozens of arrests

At least 25 people were detained during a worldwide operation, Europol says.

www.bbc.com

1

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Feb 13

📌 If you live in Sarnia and are interested in learning more about tech-facilitated sexual violence, Dr. Kaitlynn Mendes will offer a workshop for The Centre Sarnia-Lambton.

Register here www.revelree.ca/event/ht-tra...

1

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Feb 10

L’Australie interdira les médias sociaux aux adolescents. Le Canada devrait-il faire de même ? 🤔

@cdietzel.bsky.social et @kaitlynnmendes.bsky.social discutent des implications et des impacts de ces mesures dans cet article de @theconversationca.bsky.social

theconversation.com/laustralie-i...

L’Australie interdira les médias sociaux aux adolescents. Le Canada devrait-il faire de même ?

Alors que la loi canadienne sur les préjudices en ligne est débattue, les députés pourraient se tourner vers d’autres pays, comme l’Australie, pour obtenir des conseils.

theconversation.com

1

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Feb 10

Faire face à des préjudices en ligne peut être accablant, mais vous n’êtes pas seul·e. Des ressources sont disponibles partout au Canada. 🇨🇦

👉 Découvrez la liste complète sur notre site web : www.diydigitalsafety.ca/fr/support-services

1

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Jan 20

@nytimes.com asked teens about banning children under 16 from social media, and they were very honest about how social media has affected them —both positively and negatively. They also discussed other ideas for helping young people navigate life online.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/l...

What Teens Are Saying About Barring Children Under 16 From Social Media

www.nytimes.com

1

Reposted by DIY Digital Safety

Suzie Dunn @suziedunn.bsky.social · Jan 17

Come learn about youth's sexual safety online!

I'll be speaking about the @diydigsafety.bsky.social project's research on January 22nd at 7pm.

This event is open to the public.

To learn more about the project see: www.diydigitalsafety.ca

2 2

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Jan 12

Instagram Blocked Teens From Searching LGBTQ-Related Content for Months www.teenvogue.com/story/instag...

Instagram Blocked Teens From Searching LGBTQ-Related Content for Months

Posts with LGBTQ+ hashtags were hidden under Meta's “sensitive content” policy which restricts "sexually suggestive content."

www.teenvogue.com

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Jan 9

Interested in exploring the unique challenges young people face in navigating their sexuality in the digital age?

On January 22 at @dalhousieu.bsky.social, Prof. Suzie Dunn will discuss some of our preliminary findings, including insights from interviews and surveys conducted with youth across 🇨🇦.

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Dec 30

Australia is banning social media for teens. Should Canada do the same?

Our experts, Dr. Christopher Dietzel and Dr. Kaitlynn Mendes, discuss the implications and impact of these measures in this @theconversationca.bsky.social article.

theconversation.com/australia-is...

Australia is banning social media for teens. Should Canada do the same?

As Canada’s Online Harms Act is being debated, MPs may look to other countries, like Australia, for guidance on protecting youth from online harms.

theconversation.com

Reposted by DIY Digital Safety

Kristen Mattson, Ed.D. @drkmattson.bsky.social · Dec 17

www.theguardian.com/media/2024/n... #digcit

Violence on social media making teenagers afraid to go out, study finds

Quarter of teens who see violence online are being served clips via algorithms, survey in England and Wales finds

www.theguardian.com

2

DIY Digital Safety @diydigsafety.bsky.social · Dec 11

Smartphone policies in schools: What does the evidence say? 🏫🤳 The @5rightsfound.bsky.social and LSE Media & Communications joint centre gathered evidence from around the world.

Don’t miss their report 👇

Smartphone policies in schools

Smartphone policies in schools report

www.digital-futures-for-children.net

1