Canadians are navigating a digital world that shapes nearly every aspect of our lives, yet Canada has no national strategy to ensure people can participate safely, confidently, and democratically online.
The stakes could not be higher. Misinformation, online hate, and artificial intelligence are shaping what Canadians see, trust, and talk about at a time when democratic institutions are already under strain. In an online world where political polarization and disinformation do not stop at borders, the need for digital resilience is urgent.
That urgency was reinforced in the federal government’s AI consultation report, which highlighted the importance of teaching critical thinking and digital media literacy alongside technical AI expertise.
Other countries, including Finland, the United Kingdom, Australia and Brazil, have adopted coordinated national approaches that treat media literacy as a lifelong skill, embedded across education systems, public institutions, and community learning. Canada, by contrast, remains without a plan.
This public policy gap shows up in everyday life. Many adults now find themselves part of a digital “sandwich generation,” setting parental controls on a child’s Roblox account while helping a parent recognize online scams, all while navigating increasingly complex digital systems themselves.
Digital media literacy equips people to recognize manipulation, assess the credibility of sources, understand how algorithms shape content, and participate thoughtfully in civic life. It strengthens democracy not by telling people what to think, but by giving them the tools to think critically.
Regulation is important, but without an educated public even the strongest laws will fall short. Many Canadians struggle to assess the credibility of online information. Few understand how automated systems rank résumés, target advertising, or shape the news they see. To thrive in a digital society, we need to understand how information is produced, amplified, and manipulated, and how digital systems influence our choices. Yet access to digital media literacy (DML) education in Canada remains fragmented and uneven. Successfully building people’s DML skills will help Canadians navigate a rapidly evolving information environment safely and responsibly, while making Canada’s democracy and social cohesion more resilient to misinformation-driven threats.
Systematic Approaches to Improving Digital Media Literacy in Canada, a roundtable event on developing a DML strategy, convened researchers, educators, policymakers, and civil society leaders from across Canada to explore what a DML strategy should include, and how it could strengthen ongoing efforts to promote critical, inclusive, and lifelong digital media literacy learning and skill development.
Breakout sessions—facilitated by MediaSmarts and Digital Public Square—engaged participants in structured conversations around:
- How DML connects to their work.
- How the absence of a national strategy affects that work.
- What key priorities, principles, and actions should guide a national strategy.
Across groups, participants expressed urgency for a coordinated national framework that can align research, policy, and practice; reduce duplication; and ensure sustained, equitable access to digital media literacy education for all Canadians. Participants emphasized that there is likely growing support for DML efforts among the Canadian public, citing research showing rising concern about social media and artificial intelligence.
This report summarizes discussions and recommendations that emerged from the event, as well as next steps for advancing a national DML strategy in Canada.