MONTREAL -- A recent survey shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the digital habits of adults in Quebec.

The Academy of Digital Transformation's 'NETendances' 2020 study found that 63 per cent of adults in the province spent more time in front of their screens this year.

In addition, 70 per cent now have a subscription to a streaming service on the internet, an increase of 13 percentage points since last year. The platforms with the strongest growth were Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, in that order. 

Fibre optic or cable television services, on the other hand, experienced a decrease in subscription rates to 72 per cent in 2020, a decline of five percentage points in one year and 12 percentage points since 2017.

The Academy of Digital Transformation also found that 97 per cent of Quebec households have access to the web at home, four per cent more than in 2019, in particular due to the increased membership of adults aged 65 and over.

In 2020, 41 per cent of adults in Quebec indicated their intention to buy an electronic device over the next 12 months, an increase of 25 percentage points compared to 2019, mainly for smartphones and tablets.

Home entertainment devices are also on the rise, as 66 per cent of adults now own them, up seven percentage points from last year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2020.