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Canadians doing more than ever online | July 10, 2008
By Peter Wolchak
E-mail, instant messaging and surfing are all valuable online activities, but Canadians are doing much more than that, according to a 2008 Rogers/Ipsos-Reid report which finds us embracing rich Web applications such as streaming video, television and online conferencing.
Overall Internet use has increased in the last year, the survey found, as Canadians increasingly move offline activities — such as paying bills and sharing photos — onto the Internet. “Canadians are well known as early adopters of new technologies and have taken to the Internet in record numbers, and what’s interesting to see in this survey is that Canadians are using the Internet for the functional benefits as well as the fun stuff,” said Max Valiquette, president of Toronto-based marketing firm Youthography.
Valiquette offers these Internet tips:
> push your boundaries: the Internet changes fast, so the things you did last year may have been replaced by something better
> share: if you like something, other people with similar interests may, too. The people you share good stuff with are more likely to share with you
> interact: the Internet is not a passive medium. Get involved in online conversations, and offer product reviews and recommendations
What Canadians do online, compared to a year ago
What we want to do online in the next eight to 12 months
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E-mail, instant messaging and surfing are all valuable online activities, but Canadians are doing much more than that, according to a 2008 Rogers/Ipsos-Reid report which finds us embracing rich Web applications such as streaming video, television and online conferencing.
Overall Internet use has increased in the last year, the survey found, as Canadians increasingly move offline activities — such as paying bills and sharing photos — onto the Internet. “Canadians are well known as early adopters of new technologies and have taken to the Internet in record numbers, and what’s interesting to see in this survey is that Canadians are using the Internet for the functional benefits as well as the fun stuff,” said Max Valiquette, president of Toronto-based marketing firm Youthography.
Valiquette offers these Internet tips:
> push your boundaries: the Internet changes fast, so the things you did last year may have been replaced by something better
> share: if you like something, other people with similar interests may, too. The people you share good stuff with are more likely to share with you
> interact: the Internet is not a passive medium. Get involved in online conversations, and offer product reviews and recommendations
What Canadians do online, compared to a year ago
| Activity | % last year | % today |
| Communicating | 85 | 89 |
| Shopping | 62 | 65 |
| Paying bills | 59 | 65 |
| Downloading music | 43 | 44 |
| Managing/sharing photos | 39 | 47 |
| Playing games | 38 | 38 |
| Streaming videos/music/shows | 24 | 31 |
| Downloading TV/movies/games | 16 | 20 |
What we want to do online in the next eight to 12 months
| Activity | % of Canadians |
| Watching live TV on a PC | 50 |
| Making a video call on a PC | 49 |
| Making/sharing videos online | 46 |
| Downloading/reading books online | 39 |
| Using a webcam for conferencing | 34 |
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