Grant: CIHR Café Scientifique Program

Adolescents are growing up within a swiftly developing media landscape. Traditional media (i.e. television, movies, magazines, radio, etc.) continues to change with the rapid increase in popularity of new, digital media (i.e. internet, social networking, file sharing, etc.) available on far more portable devices (i.e. laptops, smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, etc.), offering adolescents access to virtually anything and everything through the internet (Brown & Bobkowski, 2011). A debate continues to rage over new media and its use by adolescents. One argument is that new media provides helps youth learn, supports socialization and encourages responsibility (Pascoe, 2011, p.6). The opposing argument is that new media is negative or problematic, making adolescents isolated, distracted, vulnerable, exploitable, and exposing them to inappropriate, undesirable, or adult content (Gray, 2009; Hillier & Harrison, 2007; Pascoe, 2011; Veenhof et al., 2008). For queer youth new media may offer resources and learning opportunities; foster social, psychological, and emotional support; develop skills and experiences which may be transferred into offline life; and provide space to rehearse crucial developmental tasks (Alexander & Losh, 2010; Hillier & Harrison, 2007). Yet, research has also suggested that new media may place queer youth at particular risk (Pascoe, 2011). This Cafe Scientifique will present emerging and innovative research in the area of SMY and new media, as well as the implications for health practice, research, and policy in the Canadian context.