There is a sobering reality check for the TV business in a survey by Ipsos Reid into Canadian media habits.

For the first time, Canadians as a whole are spending more time online than watching the box.

It found that the younger you are, the less likely you are to be watching television.

Canadians aged 55+ tended to devote 20 hours to the television each week, compared to 13 hours for those aged 18-34.

And the level of education also plays a factor, with university graduates watching less TV than those without a degree.

In a release, the author of the study, Mark Laver, said:

The data indicates that not only are people of all ages spending more and more time online, but it also points to a shift in how online Canadians are consuming media and where they are spending their free time. Today, online Canadians are finding a myriad of entertainment options available to them within the walls of their homes. While some entertainment content has simply shifted from television to online, the Internet is also providing new content to Canadians.

While some Canadians are watching TV shows online, broadcasters are competing with new forms of entertainment.

Interestingly, other media, such as newspapers, radio and magazines, have all remained relatively stable in the last year.

What the survey does not show is how many people are online while the TV set plays in the background.

Studies in the US suggest that as many as two-thirds of broadband users regularly or occasionally go online while watching TV.