Young Canadians in a Wired World – Phase III: Findings from Canada’s largest research project on children and teens’ Internet use are now available. Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age examines issues such as sexting, romantic interactions online and accessing pornography and information about sexuality.

1. Sexuality and Romantic
Relationships in the Digital Age
May 2014
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic
Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts

2. Sexuality and Romantic
Relationships in the Digital Age
May 2014
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic
Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
In 2013, MediaSmarts conducted a national
survey of 5,436 Canadian students, grades 4
through 11, in every province and territory, to
explore the role of networked technologies in
their lives.
Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the
Digital Age is the fifth in a series of reports which
draw on the rich data that was collected.

3. Exploring Sexuality and
Relationships
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Exploring Sexuality and
Relationships: The Internet as a
Resource

4. Exploring Sexuality and
Relationships
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
14%of students
say they use the Internet
to find information about
relationship problems
(like advice on dating,
getting along with family
or friends, dealing with
bullies).

5. Exploring Sexuality and
Relationships
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Looking for
information about
relationship problems
online: Gender

6. Exploring Sexuality and
Relationships
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Looking for information about relationship problems: Grade

7. Exploring Sexuality and
Relationships
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
8%of students say
they use the Internet to
find information about
sexuality.

8. Exploring Sexuality and
Relationships
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Looking for information about
sexuality online: Gender

9. Exploring Sexuality and
Relationships
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Looking for information about sexuality: Grade

10. Exploring Sexuality and
Relationships
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
13%of students
say they have pretended
to be someone else
online to flirt.
Boys are more likely
than girls to say they
have done this.

11. Exploring Sexuality and
Relationships
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Saying you were someone else online to flirt: Grade

12. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Boyfriends, Girlfriends, Best Friends
and Family: Managing Relationships
Online

13. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
59%of students
in grades 7-11 think
that boyfriends/
girlfriends should be
able to read what they
post online.
Who should be able to read your social network posts?: Grade

14. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Who should be able to read your
social network posts?: Gender

15. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
8%of students in
grades 7-11 have
deleted, or have asked
someone to delete,
something that was put
online so that their
boyfriend or girlfriend
would not see it.

16. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Deleting content posted by self: Grades 7-11

17. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Who should be able to track location: Grade

18. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Who should be able to track your location? Gender

19. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Reading private messages without permission: Grade
22%of students in
grades 7-11 agree that boyfriends
and girlfriends should be able to
read each other’s private
messages without asking
permission.

20. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Reading private
messages without
permission: Gender

21. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Willingness to share passwords: Grade

22. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Willingness to share passwords: Gender

23. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Using privacy settings to block someone from seeing social network posts:
Grades 7-11

24. Pornography
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Pornography

25. Pornography
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Do you do the following
things online?
At least
once a
day
At
least
once a
week
At
least
once a
month
At least
once a
year
Less
than
once a
year
Never
Look for pornography
(Grades 7-11 only)
8% 7% 4% 2% 2% 77%

26. Pornography
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Grade
Boys Girls 7 8 9 10 11
Look for
pornography
At least once a day 14% 1% 2% 6% 7% 11% 12%
At least once a week 14% 1% 1% 5% 8% 12% 11%
At least once a month 7% 2% 1% 3% 6% 6% 7%
At least once a year 2% 1% 1% 2% 1% 1% 2%
Less than once a year 3% 1% 2% 1% 4% 3% 3%
Never 60% 93% 93% 83% 75% 67% 65%

27. Pornography
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
3% 4% 3%
1% 2%
86%
9% 9%
5%
2% 3%
72%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
At least once a day At least once a
week
At least once a
month
At least once a year Less than once a
year
Never
Site rules No site rules
Site rules and looking for pornography online

28. Managing Relationships Online
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Sexting

29. Sexting
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Cell/Smartphone access: Grades 7-11

30. Sexting
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Percentage
Yes
Have you ever sent a sext of yourself to someone? 8%
If you answered Yes, did they forward it to anyone else? 24%
Has someone ever sent you a sexy, nude or partially nude photo
(a sext) of themselves? 24%
If you answered Yes, did you forward it to anyone else? 15%
Have you ever received a sext that was forwarded to you by
someone else? 21%
Sexting: Students with Cellphones, Grades 7-11 only

31. Sexting
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Sexting: Students with Cell Phones, Grades 7-11 only
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
7 8 9 10 11
Grade
1a Received sext
created by sender
1b Forwarded sender-
created sext
2a Sent sext of self to
someone
2b Sext of self was
forwarded by recipient
3 Received sext
forwarded by other

32. Sexting
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Sexting: (Students with Cell Phones, Grades 7-11 only): Gender

33. Sexting
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age © 2014 MediaSmarts
Having a rule about respecting others online and forwarding of sexts

34. Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Sexuality
and Romantic Relationships in the Digital Age was made
possible by financial contributions from Canadian Internet
Registration Authority, Office of the Privacy Commissioner
of Canada and The Alberta Teachers’ Association.