When it comes to gambling, there are many misconceptions — and perhaps the biggest one is that youth don’t (or can’t) gamble. That’s because we often associate gambling with playing poker or blackjack in a casino. But gambling takes many different forms. In fact, 68 per cent of Ontario youth said they participated in a gambling activity in the past 12 months, according to YMCA’s Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) Youth for Youth Digital Media Awareness Campaign in 2020. YGAP defines...

Hi, Looking for suggestions for an expert/ speaker on gambling with a focus on the political landscape and policy-making in Ontario and internationally. Thanks!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8871851/ Background: Little is known about the association between problem technology use in adolescents and school-related outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of problem technology use and examine its association with academic performance and school connectedness in a sample of students across Ontario, Canada. Methods: Self-reported data from a sample of 4837 students in grades 9 to 12 (mean age: 15.9 years; 49.5%...

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/11/09/online-gaming-operator-fined-150k-for-failing-to-protect-player-from-massive-losses-agco - A registered Internet gaming operator has 150K in fines levied against them by AGCO (Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario) for allowing/incentivizing a vulnerable player who had flagged as high risk on multiple occasions. - The company had even enticed player who withdrew consent with bonuses and credits, tickets to sporting events. -- There are many tools...

generally speaking the benefits outweigh the risks in matters of technology. Yet i am concerned it dehumanizes us ,in particular the young , formative brains of children and adolescents. They live in a virtual world , which is disconnected from the real one. The technology can be cold and impersonal. I am going to a northern Ontario hospital for locums. There they had a nice program for local artists , be they patients , visitors , doctors , nurses etc. On a big wall , they were exposing...

This is a great article. I would be interested in seeing if the results have changed even more (drastically) since the Pandemic in Ontario. So measuring use from 2020-2023.

W5: What happens when video game addiction gets out of control? (youtube.com) Problem gaming is a lot like drug addiction, with highs and lows. Gaming can go from fun to an escape over time. Affects sleep, school, work, social engagement, and mental health. 13% of Ontario teens experience some form of problem gaming.