A new study shows that internet usage trumps television watching
A new study from Ipsos Reid shows that for the first time ever in their tracking research, Canadians are using the Internet more than television. It’s the first time that average weekly Internet usage has surpassed average television usage. Overall, Canadians are spending over 18 hours a week on the Internet compared to 16.9 hours of watching television. They both rose significantly from last year’s results which were 14.9 hours a week for Internet, and 15.8 hours for television. What does this say about our society today?
According to their website, “Ipsos Reid is Canada’s market intelligence leader, the country’s leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modeling insights. Ipsos surveyed 839 Canadian adults about their internet and television habits.
Interestingly, while both these habits rose in a year, other media, such as newspaper, radio, and magazines all remained relatively stable. It is possible that the recession played a role in this rise as well.
The survey also found that the age gap in Internet users is getting smaller. On average, 18-34 year-olds are spending twenty hours of their week online, while those over 35 are spending eighteen.
Mark Laver, the author of the study, said in a release, “In previous years we’ve seen significant differences between the generations and the amount of time they spend online. 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.”
However, this gap isn’t prevalent in television. Canadian adults aged 55 and over significantly watch more television (twenty hours per week), compared to fifteen hours for Canadians aged 35-54, and 13 for those aged 18-34.
So what does this shift in digital habits tell us about the roles of computers in our lives? Are we busier? Are we becoming more secluded? Or are we just practical? Lots of television stations are allowing their shows to be viewed online for free. Are we simply watching our television shows online?
It’s possible that more Canadians are using this media. The Internet has been big for some time now, but some people are still catching on. Online banking, for instance, is becoming increasingly popular. People shop online, listen to music online, take classes online, read their news online, find recipes online, book flights online…the lists goes on.
So why is it that we’re using the Internet more than watching television? We would really have to start worrying if it was the other way around. Yes, people are on the Internet more often, but they are just living. They’re on the go. They’re online on their iPhones on the bus, they’re doing out homework, they’re checking their emails. They’re not being lazy.
Yes, there are the exceptions: the World of Warcraft players, the chatters, and the Facebookers; but all in all, social networking doesn’t make you more secluded, it’s just another way of connecting with the world. The 21st century is to online networking as the 19th century was to chess.
