January 16, 2024
A 2022 survey found one-quarter of Canadians spent 20 hours or more per week using the Internet, compared to 21% in 2018. Canadians reported their online activities sometimes made them feel anxious, depressed or envious of the lives of others (22%), interfered with their relationships (8%) and interfered with other aspects of their lives, such as sleep, physical activity and work- or school-related activities (24%). Other findings include:
- Taking a break from the Internet wasn’t associated with better mental health but spending less time online was; and
- Increased smartphone use was linked to lower mental health.