Last thing before sleeping and first thing upon waking: Social media use borderlines addiction in Canada
A staggering three quarters of Canadians who use social media confessed in a recent survey that the last thing they do at night, and the first thing they do in the morning, is use an electronic device to check their emails and other social media message feeds. The survey was done by The Angus Reid for Bacardi. Quoth Metro News:
About 80 per cent of people in Toronto or Montreal reach for their cellphones or smartphones rather than their partners
But late night romance may fare better in Quebec, where only nine per cent say they are never without the devices.
Almost one in four Atlantic Canadians report always having their mobile communications gadget at hand.
Even so, the poll suggests despite all the texting, tweeting, Facebooking and emailing, that face-to-face contact still carries the most depth, importance, and meaning.
Ellen Karp, a social anthropologist and author, is quoted in the Bacardi release as saying, "While social media is quick and efficient, there is no replacement for one-on-one time with close friends and family."
Still, nearly half of Canadians who use social media can't imagine life without it - evidence that social media is clearly not a trend, but a new component of a shifting lifestyle.
The question is, are addictions to the online realm a real problem, or simple a new fixture in one's daily routine?
