We’ve all seen influencers in our journeys on social media. But just how influential are they? One group of researchers set out to understand the effects of influencer marketing on consumers and brands. It’s important to understand this relationship as users, communicators and marketers!

Research has shown time and time again that social media can have many negative effects on its users. So, why can’t we stop scrolling?

Also referred to as feature phones, dumbphones are the opposite of smartphones. These devices help people break free from the addictive nature of smartphones. Gen Z and Millennials are the main adopters of this trend, opting for the phones that were popular before the capabilities of smartphones were developed.

The Saskatchewan Association of Immigrant Settlement and Integration Agencies (SAISIA) has created a video geared towards newcomers, framing Canadian citizenship through the lens of an Indigenous perspective. The video is part of a wider national project to connect newcomer agencies to Indigenous values.

In honour of International Literacy Day on September 8th, we’re excited to tell you about the current state of literacy levels, why literacy is important, and what we can do to make a difference. 

Friend networking sites are all about helping people establish and maintain friendships. Today Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram are leading the way. These platforms are like open playgrounds where everyone can see and share their social experiences, making them ideal for studying how online interactions affect teens' self-esteem and well-being.

In the digital age, ethics in content creation are more crucial than ever. Our mission is to change the trajectory of the internet, so we're dedicated to setting the standard for ethical practices online. We create content that is informative, truthful, and overall good for humans! 

Women make up 6% of tech founders and 25% of the industry. However, there’s one group of women notably missing: Indigenous women.  With funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada, Ethical Digital had the opportunity to put the Indigenous Women in Tech (IWT) project idea into action!

There is a correlation between social media and the mental well-being of teens, but it doesn’t necessarily cause teenagers to develop mental health problems. It all depends on HOW and WHY you access social media.  

We love to dive into the wild world of social media with you and take you through the nitty-gritty details. We’ve told you about social media and comparison, anxiety, self-esteem, FOMO, and sleep. We’ve talked about social media in education, at work and at home. We’ve even told you how Twitter could help detect depression!

Chloe Berryman and her research team studied social media usage and its effects on young adults’ mental health. They did not find a strong correlation between media usage and mental health, but rather, they pinpointed a term and action which indicates someone is struggling with their mental health. This term is called vaguebooking.

Changes in memory due to increasing internet use are being studied, and one group of researchers narrowed down their study to social media use. More specifically, the potential mediating effects of problematic social media use.

In 2012, when social media in education was a new concept, Paul Tess decided to look into the research. Social media is a slippery slope, but Tess found that if it’s implemented enthusiastically and properly, social media can engage students and instructors alike. This review also raised more questions, urging for further research to be done. 

46% of adults reported not being able to live without their smartphone. The contributing factor of this statistic is FOMO the Fear of Missing Out!

How you can fight FOMO, lower loneliness, and decrease depression

The more online we are as a society, the more people are concerned about privacy—especially those that are relatively unfamiliar with the technology. How do we know when we’ve shared too much information online?

Social media is uniquely complex. It can create loneliness or ease it, promote anxiety or lessen it, cause FOMO or relieve it. Four researchers in Japan dove into the study of different age demographics and their social media use, separating each platform into its own area of study. The more we know, the better equipped we are.

The lead to client pipeline can be a challenge even in the best of times. Enter diversity, equity & inclusion, which is known to drive innovation, boost performance, and attract your target audience. Give your business a boost with The Beginner’s Guide to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Ah social media—our best friend and worst enemy. Despite its faults, we can’t write it off completely because it connects us to our people, and, well… it can be fun! But we can’t ignore the fact it can be hard on our mental health.