Canadian Kids Know How to Surf the Web

Props to Canadian tots!

TELUS/Ipsos Reid released the results of the national Canadians and Technology survey commissioned by TELUS, which found that 75 per cent of children of young families who use the internet are proficient at it by age seven.  They also use the net as much as 1-5 hours a day. Additionally, the majority of Canadian parents (69 per cent) thought it was important for children to be technology-savvy from an early age.

The survey polled 4,466 respondents and looked at the ways Canadian families used technology to keep their ties strong. According to the survey, 83 per cent of respondents strongly agreed that technology helps keep their family organized. 57 per cent of Canadians agreed that pre-recorded TV helps them stay close to family, because it gives them the freedom to watch their favourite shows when they have time together. The survey also showed that most Canadians say they use the phone (60 per cent) to stay connected. Parents say that one of the reasons their child has a mobile phone is so that they can stay in contact with their child when they’re not around.

Canadian families have moved from being groups to being social networks, said Dr. Barry Wellman, the S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto. Their lives have expanded beyond their homes and neighbourhoods, and at the same time, we’re communicating more than ever.

The Ipsos Reid survey also revealed that Canadians are using communications technology in different ways across the country. For example:

1. Atlantic Canadians spend more time, 10.5 hours a week, on IM and social networks.  That's more than any other Canadian region.
2. British Columbia residents are ranked the highest in number of hours they spend conducting research online (6.4 hours per week).
3. Ontario students spend more time per week (3.2 hours per week) doing homework online than any other province.
4. Quebec residents are most likely to use TV to relax (73 per cent).