Adult screen time is up in Montreal, but study finds most people see positive impacts

Montreal adults are spending more and more time in front of their screens, according to a new study by Montreal public health.

The data finds that since 2018, 13 per cent more adults are spending at least two hours a day of free time in front of a screen.

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Additionally, 22.7 per cent of adults say they spent more than four hours a day in front of a screen in 2025, considered “heavy usage,” compared to 15.8 per cent in 2018.

The number of people spending less than two hours in front of a screen a day decreased from 44.9 per cent in 2018 to 31.5 per cent in 2025.

The phenomenon of spending hours in front of a screen is particularly pronounced among 18 to 24-year-olds (39.3 per cent) and those aged 65 and older (29.7 per cent).

The Direction régionale de santé publique de Montréal (DRSP) points out that though “intensive screen use is associated with a decrease in physical activity,” 44 per cent of adults say they believe their digital habits are having a positive impact on their wellbeing.

Contrarily, 18 per cent reported mostly negative impacts, while 36 per cent responded neutrally.

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“The fact that the perceived negative impacts are not associated with the intensity of reported screen time is another noteworthy finding: this observation implies that individuals attribute impacts to screens based on factors other than the amount of time they spend using them,” the report noted. “These factors would benefit from being identified and better understood in the future.”

When it comes to physical activity, 35.5 per cent of people who say they spend a lot of time on their screens admitted they do almost no movement, while 24.6 per cent say they partake in some exercise one to four times a month.

An additional 21.7 per cent say they work out two to seven times a week in addition to their heavy screen time.

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The data shows that “intense” usage is most prevalent among people with lower income (42.3 per cent among those making less than $25,000 compared to 15.5 per cent for those making more than $100,000) and people who live alone (34.2 per cent).

“People living alone and seniors are more likely to say that their digital habits bring them benefits,” said the DRSP. “Conversely, fewer people living with children under the age of 18 at home recognize the benefits of their screen use.”

When it comes to the gender binary, numbers were almost equal at 22.1 per cent for women and 23 per cent for men who say they rely heavily on their screens to fill their free time.

“Screen use has increased among Montreal adults and needs to be integrated into concerted efforts to promote healthy lifestyles,” the study argues. “The results...encourage a nuanced approach to screen use and the diversification of communication strategies when implementing prevention initiatives.”

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The survey of 4,002 adults was conducted by Montreal public health in coordination with Concordia University.