2023
8
Canada Families and Tech Consumer Report 2023
2023-08-05T03:03:30+00:00
REP823AA5B7_DB5A_47C3_92DA_D766A805AD08
3695
165594
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Report
en_GB
“Who doesn’t want to make their children happy? Parents across the nation are willing to spend what it takes. Between tech for school, tech for fun and a list of…
Canada
Technology
simple

Canada Families and Tech Consumer Report 2023

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  1. Overview

    • What you need to know
    • This Report looks at the following areas
    • Market context

  2. Executive Summary

    • Top takeaways
    • Consumer trends
    • Move over linear TV, on-demand streaming is here to stay
      • Figure 1: Household access to cable/satellite TV, by age, 2023
    • It’s not just about ownership
      • Figure 2: Devices owned but not used regularly, 2023
    • YouTube is coming in hot
      • Figure 3: Children’s YouTube access, by age of children, 2023
    • Competitive strategies
    • VR isn’t just fun and games anymore
    • Seamless smart exercise equipment
    • Market predictions
      • Figure 4: Category outlook: families and tech, 2023-28
    • Opportunities
    • Diverse content for a diverse country
    • Cross-category partnerships that make sense
    • Using tech to manage health and aging

  3. Market Drivers

    • High costs of living continue to impact consumers’ everyday life
      • Figure 5: 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index, 2020-23
    • Parents are more prone to these financial pressures
      • Figure 6: Perception of household financial status, overall vs parents of children under 23 in household, 2023
      • Figure 7: Spending behaviours in past two months, overall vs parents of children under 23 in household, 2023
    • Canada’s shifting cultural landscape bring shifting tech demands
      • Figure 8: Top places of birth of recent Canadian immigrants, 2021
      • Figure 9: Planned audio tech purchases, overall vs South Asian consumers, 2023
    • Internet speeds
      • Figure 10: Quick and reliable internet is a necessity in my home (% agree), by age, 2023
    • Giving ad-supported subscriptions another go

  4. Competitive Strategies and Market Opportunities

    • VR and smart exercise equipment brands need to do more to excite consumers
    • VR isn’t just all fun and games anymore
      • Figure 11: Introducing Apple Vision Pro, 2023
    • Making smart exercise equipment worthwhile
      • Figure 12: lululemon Studio Instagram post, 2022
    • Utilizing tech to navigate stages of life and health
      • Figure 13: Introducing Apple Watch Series 8 | Apple, 2022
      • Figure 14: Withings Instagram post, 2023
    • Make homes great again!
      • Figure 15: DoorDash Canada Instagram post, 2023
    • Hearing out younger consumers’ audible call for audio
      • Figure 16: Planned audio tech purchases, by age, 2023
      • Figure 17: The Source Canada Instagram post, 2023
      • Figure 18: JBL Audio Instagram post, 2023
    • Appeal to Canada’s diversity
      • Figure 19: The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Canada Instagram post, 2023

  5. Fast Facts – Families and Tech

  6. Ownership and Usage of Family Tech

    • The basics lead in terms of ownership
      • Figure 20: Tech devices in household with children under 23, 2023
      • Figure 21: Cherish Instagram post, 2023
    • Tech usage in the household – adults vs children
      • Figure 22: Devices used regularly (select), by age, 2023
      • Figure 23: Devices used regularly, children vs adults, 2023
    • Smart TVs are the smart move for the majority of Canadians
      • Figure 24: Nintendo America Instagram post, 2021
    • Ownership does not mean usage
      • Figure 25: Devices owned but not used regularly, 2023
      • Figure 26: lululemon Instagram post, 2023
    • Women and men gravitate toward different tech
      • Figure 27: Devices owned vs devices used in household (select), fathers vs mothers of children under 23 in the household, 2023
    • South Asian consumers are feeling the love for smart tech
      • Figure 28: Devices owned and used in household (select), overall vs South Asian consumers, 2023

  7. Purchase Plans

    • The expected lead, but a third of consumers are not planning to buy
      • Figure 29: Planned tech purchases, 2023
    • Younger consumers are predictably planning on purchasing
      • Figure 30: Planned tech purchases, by age, 2023
    • Kids just want to have tech
      • Figure 31: Planned audio tech purchases, parents of children under 23 vs overall, 2023
    • Listen up – 18-24 year olds want to purchase audio devices
      • Figure 32: Planned audio tech purchases, by age, 2023
      • Figure 33: JBL Audio Instagram post, 2023
    • Chinese Canadians, South Asian consumers and Black consumers are keen to purchase tech
      • Figure 34: Planned tech purchases, by race, 2023
      • Figure 35: Dell Instagram post, 2023

  8. Digital Activities with Children

    • There’s nothing like watching television and movies with family
      • Figure 36: Activities engaged in with one’s children, 2023
    • South Asian consumers are playing mobile games together
      • Figure 37: Play mobile video games together with my child(ren), South Asian consumers vs overall, 2023
      • Figure 38: Sites/apps used daily, overall vs South Asian consumers, 2023
    • Age has a lot to do with it
      • Figure 39: Activities engaged in with one’s children, by age of children in household, 2023

  9. Access to Digital Services

    • Despite password crackdowns, Netflix is still the leader…for now
      • Figure 40: Current access to digital services, 2021 vs 2023
      • Figure 41: Household access to cable/satellite TV, by age, 2023
    • Linear TV move over, younger consumers are psyched to stream
      • Figure 42: Current access to digital services, by age, 2023
      • Figure 43: Netflix Canada Instagram post, 2023
      • Figure 44: Crave Canada Instagram post, 2023
    • Parents are (unsurprisingly) subscribing to digital services
      • Figure 45: Current access to digital services, overall vs parents of children under 23, 2023
      • Figure 46: Families with children’s household access to digital services, 2021 vs 2023
      • Figure 47: Current access to Prime Video and Disney+, overall vs mothers vs fathers, 2023
      • Figure 48: Disney Plus Instagram post, 2023
    • South Asian consumers are subscribing differently
      • Figure 49: Current access to digital services (select), overall vs South Asian consumers, 2023
      • Figure 50: Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives | Official trailer | Netflix India, 2020

  10. Children’s Video Content Consumption

    • Kids are avid consumers of their families’ digital services
      • Figure 51: “I have streaming subscriptions that I would cancel if not for other members of my household using them” (% agree), by age of children in household, 2023
      • Figure 52: Digital services watched by kids in past three months, 2023
      • Figure 53: YouTube vs YouTube Kids viewership, by children’s age, 2023
      • Figure 54: YouTube Instagram post, 2023
      • Figure 55: Digital services watched by kids in past three months (select), by children’s age, 2023
    • South Asian consumers’ children are fans of YouTube (Kids)
      • Figure 56: Children’s YouTube Kids viewership, overall vs South Asian consumers, 2023

  11. Children’s App and Game Usage

    • Somewhat unsurprisingly, YouTube takes the cake
      • Figure 57: Apps/games played or accessed by children in past three months, 2023
      • Figure 58: Children’s YouTube access, by age of children, 2023
    • Fathers of kids under 23 are noting their kids using platforms differently
      • Figure 59: Children’s access of YouTube and Call of Duty in past three months, dads vs moms, 2023
    • Roblox and Discord have a type
      • Figure 60: Roblox Instagram post, 2023
      • Figure 61: Children’s access of Roblox and Discord in past three months, by age of children, 2023
      • Figure 62: Roblox Instagram post, 2023
    • In-app purchases
      • Figure 63: “I allow my children to make in-app purchases”, by age of children, 2023

  12. Attitudes toward Family Tech

    • Quick and reliable internet is essential
      • Figure 64: Quick and reliable internet is a necessity in my home (% agree), by age, 2023
    • But the newest tech isn’t necessary for school…yet
      • Figure 65: “I feel I need to purchase my child the latest tech in order for them to participate effectively in school” (% agree), by age and gender, 2023
    • It’s not stalking when it’s your child you’re tracking
      • Figure 66: “I am interested in/already use technology that allows me to track my child’s location” (% agree), by age of children, 2023
    • Children’s online safety comes first: monitoring kids’ social media accounts
      • Figure 67: It is prudent for parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts (% agree), by age, 2023
    • Fears around VR and the metaverse persist
      • Figure 68: Attitudes toward metaverse and VR (% agree), 2023
      • Figure 69: The metaverse is not a place for children (% agree), by age and gender, 2023
      • Figure 70: “I am hesitant to let my child enter into VR spaces” (% agree), moms vs dads, 2023

  13. Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations

    • Data sources
    • Consumer survey data
    • Consumer qualitative research
    • Abbreviations and terms
    • Abbreviations
    • Terms

Tech advances have come a long way in parents’ lifetimes and they are trying to navigate being a parents and being parents to digital natives during the age of social media, on-demand content and constant connectedness. This report examines the Canadian family’s relationship with technology,  including analysis of consumer attitudes, habits and ownership trends.

Key Areas Covered in this Report

  • Household ownership and usage of tech (including by adults vs by children).
  • Planned purchases of tech.
  • Digital activities engaged in with one’s children.
  • Household access and children’s consumption of video content services.
  • Children’s app and game usage.
  • Attitudes toward tech and the family (including real-world location tracking and digital safety).

Expert Analysis from an Industry Specialist

This report, written by Candace Baldassarre, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends in Canadian families’ interest and engagement with technology.

Who doesn’t want to make their children happy? Parents across the nation are willing to spend what it takes. Between tech for school, tech for fun and a list of on-demand video content subscriptions, parents are shelling out dollars on their kids’ tech and digital media needs. Families (and consumers more generally) turn to tech to both simplify and enhance their lives. But, alongside kids’ widespread use of tech devices, games, apps and consumption of digital media comes a new slew of concerns for watchful parents.

Candace Baldassarre
Research Analyst

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