Conducted during the early weeks of Canada’s lockdown measures put in place to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19’s spread, CIRA’s Internet Factbook 2020 survey is more than just an update on our collective online behaviour – it’s a small looking glass that reflects how life has changed. And it looks like life involves a lot more use of the internet – for everything from working remotely, to staying connected to loved ones, to binge-streaming Netflix, and cursing at our voice-activated assistants. The internet has become an integral component of each Canadian’s average day while sheltering in place.

More Canadians may be starting their day by turning off the alarm on their voice-activated assistant. More than one-quarter of Canadians now own such a device, an increase from 19 per cent in 2019. When the alarm is finally quieted, Canadians may ask their voice-activated assistant to listen to the radio, some music, or a podcast, as 13 per cent of Canadians say they use the devices for this purpose most often.

As 9 A.M. rolls around, 54 per cent of Canadians say they are working at home specifically because of COVID-19. Despite not necessarily choosing to do so, many of us are seeing the benefits of working remotely. More than three-quarters say that spending less time commuting is the top benefit, but two-thirds say they are saving time in general. Fifty-four per cent of Canadians feel they’ve achieved a better work-life balance and half are enjoying better flexibility with doing chores and errands.

When the lunch hour hits, Canadians are much more likely to be ordering food online. More than half of Canadians now say they have ordered food online, a near doubling from the 27 per cent that did so in 2019. Canadians are most likely to be ordering food from a restaurant’s website or app, with 53 per cent of online-food-buyers saying they did so. Thirty-seven per cent say they used a food delivery service like Uber Eats or Skip the Dishes.

As the afternoon unfolds, many Canadians might receive calls to their mobile phones, but only 45 per cent bother to answer at least “some of the time.” Likely, they are being worn out by the spam calls they get, with seven in ten receiving at least one per week. They are much more likely to log in to Facebook, the dominant social media platform in Canada, with seven out of ten using it. It’s also the favourite of one in three Canadians, even though Canadians also rank it as the most toxic (41 per cent) and the most addictive (38 per cent).

In the evening, Netflix awaits. It remains the most popular subscriber-based online content provider in Canada, with 53 per cent using it. Two in three Canadians will watch at least one hour per day of TV or movies online, and one in four Canadians say they spend three to four hours doing so. Some of us might be binging Schitt’s Creek, as 61 per cent say they at least occasionally seek out Canadian content.

Before bed, it might be time to finally take a break from the internet, as one in five Canadians say they do daily. However, others might be setting up for yet another Zoom call, as 29 per cent of us never make that attempt to disconnect. Canadians of this ilk point to the need to stay connected with family (41 per cent) or friends (36 per cent) as the main reason for staying wired.

As we drift off to sleep, perhaps one more conversation with our voice-activated assistant is in order. One-quarter of us admit to having a full-fledged conversation with Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant. We’ll most likely be polite as we chat, with three-quarters of Canadians saying they have said “please” and “thank you” to their voice-activated assistant.