Trends and Stats: Canadians use the Internet more than anyone else in the world
Canadians spend more time on the Internet than anyone in any other country, and the amount of time Canadians spend online is nearly double the worldwide average (43.5 hours per month versus 23.1), according to new data from research firm comScore.
The data revealed that the average Canadian visits nearly 100 different websites over three months, more than double the worldwide average of just 42. 25 million Canadians uses the Internet in the last quarter of 2010.
People aged 55 and older are now the fastest-growing demographic of internet users and now accounts for one in five internet users, which is actually more than people aged 10 to 24, 25 to 34, and 35 to 44 who comprise 10, 18, and 18 percent of internet users respectively.
Newspaper and political websites are gaining traction in Canada while email sites like Gmail and Hotmail are declining in traffic growth. Group buying websites like Groupon, and social media sites like Twitter and LinkedIn, are also attracting high growth, while MySpace and Wordpress have seen major drops in usage.
It's still unknown why exactly Canadians are such heavy internet users, but factors may include some of the world's best access to high-speed internet, as well as less density in urban areas (and long distances between these metropolises) and therefore a greater need to communicate digitally.
