CIRA Partners With MediaSmarts for Landmark Research Study

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - June 25, 2012) - MediaSmarts (formerly known as Media Awareness Network) is pleased to announce it has partnered with the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) for the third phase of its landmark research study, Young Canadians in a Wired World.

"We are thrilled with CIRA's support of our work and their commitment to helping us gain a better understanding of how young Canadians are using and benefiting from the Internet," said Jane Tallim, Co-Executive Director of MediaSmarts. "The data we've collected over the last 12 years through the Young Canadians study has given us profound insight into the online lives of young people. This funding allows us to move forward with the next phase of the research."

"We are proud to support the work of MediaSmarts and their ongoing Young Canadians in a Wired World (YCWW) study," said David Fowler, CIRA's Director of Marketing and Communications. "The next generation of Canadian Internet users will undoubtly have an impact on the future of the Internet in Canada. The Internet has become a large part of the daily lives of young Canadians. Understanding their online behaviour is critical to helping them develop good habits and stay safe in their online interactions."

CIRA's partnership supports a national survey of close 6,000 students, delving into topics affecting young people's online lives such as cyberbullying and surveillance. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is also providing funding for the national survey.

Young Canadians in a Wired World is the most comprehensive investigation into the role of the Internet in the lives of Canadian children and teens. Past reports can be viewed at www.mediasmarts.ca.

MediaSmarts (formerly known as Media Awareness Network) is a Canadian not-for-profit centre for digital and media literacy. Its vision is that young people have the critical thinking skills to engage with media as active and informed digital citizens. MediaSmarts' programs are supported by: TELUS, CIRA, Google, Bell, Shaw, Bell Media, and the National Film Board of Canada. www.mediasmarts.ca

CIRA is the member-driven organization that manages Canada's .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada's Internet community, and represents the .CA registry internationally. www.cira.ca