About Us
About APISC Digital
The Meili (My-Lee) Project
About APISC Digital
APISC Digital Research Foundation Inc. is a Canadian Non-Profit Foundation created to advance the understanding of known and unknown socially-mediated harms to children and teenagers due to internet usage and to online social media influence. APISC stands for Adolescent Peer Influence and Social Contagion.
The organization was founded
APISC Digital Research Foundation Inc. is a Canadian Non-Profit Foundation created to advance the understanding of known and unknown socially-mediated harms to children and teenagers due to internet usage and to online social media influence. APISC stands for Adolescent Peer Influence and Social Contagion.
The organization was founded by Shannon Boschy, a Canadian Professional whose family was impacted by the phenomenon of online peer influence. It is guided by a growing Canadian Board of Directors, including the founder of Gender Dysphoria Alliance (Aaron Kimberly) and writer and communications professional, Mia Ashton.
We are advised by an international working group with a wide breadth of experience and academic specialties including experts in medical research, psychotherapy, cognitive Science, and other disciplines. We are also consulting with trans people and with some who have detransitioned whose insights and perspectives are incredibly valuable to this research.
Our Mission
The Meili (My-Lee) Project
About APISC Digital
The purpose of our current research is to objectively study online factors contributing to the exploding numbers of trans-identified people in our society to determine if the growth reflects a natural phenomenon related to greater acceptance of trans identities or if there are larger social dynamics at play related to the phenomenon kno
The purpose of our current research is to objectively study online factors contributing to the exploding numbers of trans-identified people in our society to determine if the growth reflects a natural phenomenon related to greater acceptance of trans identities or if there are larger social dynamics at play related to the phenomenon known as social contagion.
Understanding the mechanisms of this phenomenon is important specifically because the path of children who identify as transgender or non-binary involves serious medical interventions with lifelong implications. We are increasingly aware that people opting for gender-affirming care are suffering serious medical complications and for numerous reasons many are abandoning the path of medicalization.
The subjects of our research in the domain of online youth culture, include mechanisms of influence both conscious peer influence, and unconscious contagion, like the recent phenomenon of TikTok Tics. We are examining patterns of influence, medical misinformation, and possible ideological correlations to self harm behaviours. We are seeking to understand how young users may be negatively influenced in online spaces such as Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, Instagram and TikTok.
Researchers and thought leaders in this area point to the correlation between the rise of the smartphone and social media a decade ago, the increase in mental health issues in teenage girls, like depression, anxiety and suicidality, and the numbers of people identifying as transgender who are subsequently undertaking pubertal suppression, hormone therapies and gender reassignment surgeries.
A recent New York Times article on the TikTok Tic’s, an explosion of Tourette-Like behaviors in teenager girls, illustrates the high correlated with teen girls who identify as trans or non-binary.
Founder Shannon Boschy ultimately sees APISC Digital as a vehicle to provide resources to inform Federal and regional (State and Provincial) policies, supporting advocates for protecting children from online harms (like bullying and psychological manipulation), with reliable peer-reviewed data;as well as to educate parents and teachers about the dangers of ideological indoctrination, radicalization, and social contagion online.
The Meili (My-Lee) Project
The Meili (My-Lee) Project
The Meili (My-Lee) Project
Our first project contracts a leading Artificial Intelligence research firm whose clients include governments, political parties, academic researchers, and global corporations. In September 2022, we deployed their patented, peer-reviewed machine- learning tool that we have code-named Meili, (My-Lee) after the Norse god of travelers. M
Our first project contracts a leading Artificial Intelligence research firm whose clients include governments, political parties, academic researchers, and global corporations. In September 2022, we deployed their patented, peer-reviewed machine- learning tool that we have code-named Meili, (My-Lee) after the Norse god of travelers. Meili observes and analyzes public sentiment, conversational topics, patterns of influence and decision-making online.
Unlike the popular Chat GPT app, which is biased by politically correct (ideological) frameworks & policies, our A.I. simply reports what is there. Director, Shannon Boschy uses the comparison between Tourists and Travellers to describe how Meile works: “A tourist goes to a foreign place to see what they want to see; a traveller goes to see what is there.”
The information we receive from Meili is shaped by the questions we ask and so it is extremely important that our questions be thoughtful to not bias our results. To that end, we are relying on collective human intelligence to inform our project as well and machine learning.
Our first sets of questions have simply been: “What is the nature of the conversation about transgender, gender transition and detransition online,” and Meili has returned after several months of investigation with a map of the conversation which we are beginning to share with donors, researchers and the public.
Some central questions:
- Can we identify patterns in populations by age, race, and natal sex?
- Are there identifiable markers in stages that trans-identified teens go through in coming to believe they are transgender?
- Are there overt peer and social influences or tactics of persuasion?
- Are there ideologically consistent beliefs?
How You Can Help
The Meili (My-Lee) Project
The Meili (My-Lee) Project
Our 2023 Goal is to enlist the help of 100 individual donors willing to commit $100 per month to support the ongoing computational and reporting costs of our project. We are using Give-Send-Go to receive these important donations. (A note on why we chose Give-Send-Go Here)
Our fundraising expansion goals in 2023 are to support Meile’s t
Our 2023 Goal is to enlist the help of 100 individual donors willing to commit $100 per month to support the ongoing computational and reporting costs of our project. We are using Give-Send-Go to receive these important donations. (A note on why we chose Give-Send-Go Here)
Our fundraising expansion goals in 2023 are to support Meile’s travels mapping the gender conversation on Twitter and Reddit, into Tumblr and TikTok, which are widely reported to be current vectors of online gender-identity contagion where many believe teens are indoctrinated and even manipulated into believing they are transgender.
We are also looking for several individuals or groups who can support the initial cost or programming and audience discovery for Tumblr and TikTok with donations of $1,000, 2,500 or $5,000 USD. We estimate this expansion will cost $25,000 USD. US donors may be able to receive a tax receipt from a 501c3 charity for their donations. Please Inquire directly with APISC Digital.
In 2023 we also plan on expanding our tool kit to include other big-data tools like Google Analytics and Twitter API, and to enlist the support of a Public Relations firm to assist us in engaging with media. We also have small expected legal costs associated with charity status applications and administration.
Your support, small or large, goes a long way.