MONTREAL, Tuesday – Adult Montrealers are spending significantly more of their leisure time in front of screens than they did seven years ago, according to a new study released Tuesday by the city’s public health department.
The report from the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal found that the proportion of adults using screens for more than two hours a day for leisure increased by 13 per cent between 2018 and 2025.
Data for the study was collected between March and June 2025 through a phone survey examining gambling and screen use among adults on the Island of Montreal. The survey, developed in collaboration with Concordia University, included responses from 4,002 residents.
Researchers found that intensive leisure screen use — defined as more than four hours per day — rose from 16 per cent in 2018 to 23 per cent in 2025. Such usage was most common among adults aged 18 to 24 and those aged 65 and older.
The study also linked higher screen use to lower income levels, living alone and less frequent participation in recreational physical activities.
Public health officials cautioned that the rising trend in screen time could have negative consequences for the physical health of Montreal’s adult population if it continues.
