People who use the internet heavily tend to spend more time isolated from their families and friends but feel less rushed or stressed, a new Statistics Canada report suggests.

The study, which was conducted in 2005, concerned personal internet use rather than time spent online for work or school.

It asked participants to keep diaries over 24-hour periods, logging the time they spent on such activities as internet use, caring for children, running errands, or participating in cultural or sporting activities.

When it comes to heavy internet users, it found :

  • Six out of 10 were men.
  • They were nearly eight years younger on average than non-users.
  • They tended to spend about an hour less each day than non-users with other people.
  • Just under half worked at a paid job.
  • Students and the unemployed constituted a higher proportion than non-users.
  • They were less likely to consider themselves to be stressed, rushed or workaholics.

The study defined a heavy user as one who spends more than an hour on the internet during a 24-hour period. Moderate users were defined as people who go online for five minutes to one hour daily, while non-users spent less than five minutes online a day.

Less time for family

In terms of home life, Statistics Canada found that heavy internet users spent an average of 33 fewer minutes each day doing work around the house — including taking care of children and housekeeping — than non-users.

Internet use also tended to take a toll on human interaction. The study said moderate users spent about 26 more minutes by themselves than non-users, while heavy users were alone for 119 more minutes a day than non-users.

Logging on during weekends was associated with greater declines in time spent with people outside the household than internet use on weekdays.

However, the study also notes that internet users are using methods other than face-to-face contact to interact with other people.

Heavy users were likely to spend considerably more time using e-mail or in chat groups, and also tended to talk on the telephone more.

They also reported about the same number of close relationships with people outside the household as the non-users.