Internet Usage Outpacing TV in Canada

According to a new report from Ipsos Reid conducted last fall, more Canadians are spending their time online compared to watching television. The report shows Canadians are spending more than 18 hours a week online to 16.9 hours watching television.

The study also broke down the age gaps and found on average that 18-34 year olds are spending 20+ hours a week online compared to 18 hours for those over the age of 35. It’s also compelling that both internet usage and the number of hours watching television has been on the rise since last year.

As consumers are getting more fed up with cable companies and useless clutter, many are resorting online to download their content instead. There are a lot more options out there with HDMI options for the TV/computer to current news downloaded on the go to your mobile phone.

Interestingly is that other media mediums such as newspapers, radio and magazines have remained relatively stable in the last year.

“In previous years we’ve seen significant differences between the generations and the amount of time they spend online,” said study author Mark Laver in a release. “The data indicates that not only are people of all ages spending more and more time online, but it also points to a shift in how online Canadians are consuming media and where they are spending their free time.”

Ipsos Reid surveyed 830 Canadian adults and has an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.38 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.