TORONTO – Can we blame the snowy weather for cutting into our internet surfing time? While it’s unproven whether we’ve traded shovelling snow for surfing the internet, Canadians’ overall internet usage dropped in the last quarter of 2012, according to a new report from comScore.
The average Canadian Internet user was online for 41.3 hours per month in the fourth quarter of last year, dropping us to the #2 spot in terms of worldwide usage, reports the Toronto Star. Canadians spent an average of 45.3 hours per month online during the same period in 2011.
Canadians also ranked second highest in the world for online video watching and number of videos per viewer. We spent an average of 25 hours a month watching almost 300 videos online.
comScore’s recently released 2013 Canada Digital Future in Focus annual report focuses on the prevailing trends in web usage, online video, digital advertising, mobile, social media and e-commerce and how they are defining the current Canadian marketplace.
Other key findings from the 2013 Canada Digital Future in Focus report include:
- The digital ad market is healthy and growing in Canada, with 724 billion display ad impressions in 2012, up 17% year-over-year. Social media, entertainment and portal sites continue to account for the highest share of impressions.
- The rapid adoption of internet-enabled devices is contributing to a more fragmented digital media landscape. Smartphone subscribers grew by 17% in 2012, with Google Android now accounting for 40% of the market. Subscribers watching video on their mobile phones has increased 21 points in the last year, while search is the fastest-growing mobile content category.
- Social Media players are increasing their visitor base and engagement, while Facebook maintains its strong lead in the category. There are several rising stars to watch in 2013 – Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram are all seeing strong visitor growth rates.
- Major industry verticals are experiencing growth in digital channels. Retail e-commerce reached $22.3 billion in Canada in 2012, up 10% versus year ago. Banking and automotive content consumption and digital advertising are also experiencing gains across both desktop and mobile channels.
