Prime Highlights:
The Hub will provide a no-cost, virtual portal offering tools for promoting digital citizenship, including VPNs, online safety tips, and parental control resources.
Unlike most platforms, The Hub is developed independently from major technology companies, ensuring its neutrality and trustworthiness.
Key Background:
A pioneering digital wellness platform, developed by York University’s Young Lives Research Lab, is set to launch this spring. The initiative, named The Hub, aims to help Canadians navigate the complexities of the internet and social media in a safe and informed manner. Funded by Heritage Canada’s Digital Citizenship Fund, the platform was created through a collaboration between youth, scholars, and youth-serving organizations.
Kate Tilleczek, a professor in the Faculty of Education and the director of the Young Lives Research Lab, explained that The Hub is both a research project and an educational tool designed to engage people of all ages. “This platform extends our work at the Young Lives Research Lab by co-developing new educational spaces in collaboration with youth,” Tilleczek said.
The Hub will serve as a free virtual portal offering resources aimed at promoting digital citizenship and well-being. It will provide users with tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs), online safety tips, and parental control advice, along with access to external resources like the Digital Futures for Children and the 5Rights Foundation.
One of the platform’s distinctive features is its independence from big tech companies, a point emphasized by Senior Research Associate James Stinson. “This project is unique because it is not partnered with big tech, unlike many other resources,” he said.
Deborah MacDonald, Senior Project Manager, highlighted the platform’s commitment to trustworthiness. The Hub will offer easily accessible information that users can rely on, ensuring it is free from manipulative content or corporate interests. The development of The Hub has been informed by extensive consultations with youth, including interviews with young people between the ages of 13 and 30. By incorporating the voices of youth, the platform aims to address their evolving needs and provide solutions that support their digital well-being. The project also works within the framework of the Canadian Index of Child and Youth Wellbeing, considering the growing impact of technology on youth today.
