According to Statistics Canada, police-reported hate crimes against Jews rose by 82 per cent in 2023. In the months following Oct. 7, 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza, university campuses across Canada became sites of tension, protest and divisions. Jewish students and faculty increasingly reported feeling alone, excluded and targeted. As our research has examined, despite these urgent realities, Jewish identity and antisemitism […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
How to improve university EDI policies so they address Jewish identity and antisemitism
If we don’t teach youth about sexual assault and consent, popular media will
The sexual assault trial of five former World Juniors hockey players has spotlighted issues around sexual assault and consent. Sexual assault, intimate partner violence and other forms of gender-based violence aren’t inevitable. Kindergarten to Grade 12 public schools have an ethical obligation to enact sexuality education that is responsive to current contexts, respects human diversity, empowers young people and is […] … learn more→
Your brain learns from rejection − here’s how it becomes your compass for connection
Imagine finding out your friends hosted a dinner party and didn’t invite you, or that you were passed over for a job you were excited about. These moments hurt, and people often describe rejection in the language of physical pain. While rejection can be emotionally painful, it can also teach us something. I am a social psychology […] … learn more→
Are influencers villains, victims or champions of change? The reality is more complex
Social media influencers have become cultural powerhouses, setting trends, shaping lifestyles and even swaying political views. As their influence grows, so do ethical debates about them: are they villains exploiting their audiences, victims of an unregulated industry or champions driving positive change? In our chapter in the recently released book, Influencer Marketing, we synthesized existing literature to […] … learn more→
Videos on TikTok and Instagram: A social learning process of self-presentation
Filming, editing, and posting videos on social media is now a central activity in young people’s social lives. But it’s also a complex, even dangerous, activity, especially for young women. What do they film, what don’t they film, and why? A look back at the findings of a survey. In an article dated March 12, 2025 , […] … learn more→
Truth and lies, trust and doubt: how should we be navigating the misinformation crisis?
“Lies are often much more plausible, more appealing to reason than reality, since the liar has the great advantage of knowing beforehand what the audience wishes or expects to hear.” This statement might have been written last year – or last week – as a comment on the current state of political reporting. It is […] … learn more→
The role of friends in adolescent digital well-being
There are four key and interrelated dimensions that determine the well-being of children and adolescents: physical health, emotional well-being, digital technology use, and the relational environment. Each influences the others: therefore, we cannot talk about digital well-being without considering physical, emotional, and social connections. In Spain, most minors receive their first cell phone at age 11. They are […] … learn more→
Reducing diversity, equity and inclusion to a catchphrase undermines its true purpose
Diversity, equity and inclusion, which has become the catchphrase DEI, represents a commitment to fairness and to tackling racism and exclusionary policies that limit access to resources and perpetuate injustice. The Trump administration’s attacks on DEI frame efforts toward equity and fairness as illegal, wasteful, immoral and shameful. However, unfair access to resources and opportunities remains a daily reality in […] … learn more→
How dreams, prophecies and intuitions can impact the decision to migrate
When governments, policymakers or the news media discuss migration, the focus is almost exclusively on those who physically cross borders, seek asylum or arrive at ports of entry. But migration does not begin at at the moment of departure or upon arrival. It starts much earlier, as an aspiration. Recent surveys show a sharp rise in global […] … learn more→
Could bullying be an evolutionary trait?
Bullying is a serious problem that impacts hundreds of millions of young people across the world each year. Defined as the goal-directed, harmful abuse of a power imbalance, bullying can cause serious, long-term physical and mental health outcomes for victims. As a result, countries around the world have mobilized anti-bullying efforts. Unfortunately, these efforts have had relatively little impact on […] … learn more→