We all have things we tend to do when we've got some time to ourselves. Some of us, especially if we're overworked, just like to collapse on the couch and nap, while some go-getters would rather take the little bit of free time they've found to clean the house or start a work project a little early.

In Canada, there's a particular activity that the majority of people seem to do when they've got a few extra minutes alone - they surf the web, and the possibilities are endless. They can do something fun like play a game or read a book, or they can do something serious by sending work-related emails.

Recent reports have found that when faced with free time, many people would rather surf the world wide web than do other things, and that bodes well for internet service providers (ISPs).

Picking the net over most other things
According to The Canadian Free Press, a study recently released by the Media Technology Monitor revealed that while the average Canadian watches 30 hours of television shows or movies each week, they tend to multitask by simultaneously going online during this chunk of free time. The report found that 58 per cent of Canadians have gone online while the television is on, while 26 per cent went further and said they always or almost always do so.

While this might not say much about current programming, it might say more about the state of connectivity in Canada. What this indicates is that internet use has most likely gone up.

"There's always so much more happening on the web with people talking about things that are going on, social media is always being updated every second 24/7," consumer Nathaniel Willsie told the Free Press.

Net use not surprising to many
These revelations shouldn't come as a shock to most, especially ISPs, as we've been among the top internet users across the globe for many years. After all, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority just released their 2013.CA Factbook in January, which exposed the fact that Canadians spend the greatest amount of time online in comparison with all other countries - 45 hours per person each month.

This might give service providers a new opportunity to reach out to customers. Having round the clock access to the net, and passionate customer service reps in case there's a problem, is what many are looking for, and what indie ISPs can provide.