Compared to the two youngest age groups of Internet users, those in their late thirties and beyond were more likely to be casual users, with nearly half of them spending less than 10 hours per month (or less than 20 minutes per day on average) on their computers at home. By comparison, just over one-quarter (27.3%) of young Canadian computer users aged 16 to 25 years were casual users. Interestingly, although the intensity and variety of activities performed with ICTs tends to decrease with age, the proportion of heavy computer users (30 hours or more per month) did not fall off for the oldest age group (26.0%), when compared to the 36 to 45 (22.6%) and 46 to 55 (20.6%) age groups. In some cases, those who are retired may have more free time than those in middle-aged groups who may be working, and for some this could represent an opportunity to spend greater lengths of time on their computers at home.

Data from the ALL survey show that heavy computer use was an emerging phenomenon in North America in particular. The proportion of computer users aged 16 to 65 years who were very heavy users at home (averaging 2 hours per day or more) was about twice as high in Canada (11.9%) and the United States (11.1%) than in the other countries (where it ranged from 4.8% to 6.3%).

The Internet browsing experience for young, middle-aged and older Canadians is often quite different (Table 8). The group of young Canadian users aged 16 to 25 years stood out when compared with the older age groups, particularly for their preference for downloading music, participating in chat groups, and playing online games with others. In fact, the proportion of these young users who engaged in these activities was about double the proportion of the next youngest age group, aged 26 to 35 years, and over five times the rate of the oldest group, aged 56 to 65 years. Going online to obtain or save music was in fact the third most popular online activity measured for young Internet users in Canada. However, young Canadians’ elevated use of the Internet was not restricted to entertainment, as they were also more likely to participate in formal education or training and to connect with potential employers online. Internet job sites and company websites have become an important source for job information, and over 40% of Canadian Internet users in the two youngest age groups went online to search for employment opportunities in a typical month in 2003.

Source: Statistics Canada, Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, 2003.