YOMO: Youth Mobilities in Public and Digital Spaces
The key objectives of this research were to learn more about how young people use digital spaces and particularly how their engagement in the digital space connects with social mobility and equality. In addition, the study asked how digital engagement can be enriched through creative and cultural production.
This study investigated inequity in relation to youth engagement with digital and global literacies, in order to examine assumptions about digital natives, to expose differentials that will enhance achievement for young people, and to value both digital and non-digital practices. We now know that the actual use of digital technologies and the actual engagement in cultural production is heavily determined by socio-economic status. For example, low-income young people are more likely to be digital consumers and higher income students to be digital producers. This study further investigated the digital cultural engagement of two samples of young people in two different cities: in Hamilton, Ontario and in Glasgow, Scotland.
PI and Co-Is - International Collaborators
Co-I’s: Dr Mia Perry (University of Glasgow, School of Education) and Dr Diane Collier (Brock University, Ontario, Canada)
Start and End Date
Sept. 2016 – Sept. 2018
Funder and Funding Amount
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC); $65,000CND
Project News
This project culminated in two community events showcasing the project to youth, their families and friends. The research has been developed into multiple conference presentations, a website, and a number of academic chapters and articles currently in submission, review, or in print.