Media Advisory - New research report details unsettling findings about youth and social media

TORONTO, Nov. 10, 2014 /CNW/ - Kids are building online networks with millions of followers on Instagram, and are capitalizing on those followers for financial gain. Boys using #toolpick have rapidly become the hyper-sexualized attention seekers most thought was the domain of girls. And many kids have given up all privacy online in their quest for fame, opening themselves up to exploitation and bullying.

These are some of the unsettling findings of a year-long research study about youth, celebrity and online culture by the kidsmediacentre at Centennial College. Titled #Instafame and the Epidemiology of a Selfie-Curated Culture, it explores the social media phenomenon of youth seeking fame and fortune online through the use of savvy marketing techniques typically employed by commercial brands.

Members of the media are invited to hear about the groundbreaking study and speak with the authors.

Date:	Wednesday, November 12 at 10 am
What:	The kidsmediacentre, a research centre and industry think tank focused on kids' media at Centennial College, will release its report, #Instafame and the Epidemiology of a Selfie-Curated Culture.
Who:	Debbie Gordon, lead researcher and kidsmediacentre Director, and her team of Centennial graduates who worked on the study.
Location:	Room 203, Story Arts Centre, Centennial College, 951 Carlaw Ave., Toronto (at Carlaw Ave. and Mortimer, north of Danforth)

SOURCE: Centennial College

Media contact: Mark Toljagic, Communications Officer, 416-289-5000, ext. 7142, mobile [phone], [email protected]