StatCan looks to include digitization with new well-being measurements

According to a Statistics Canada study, in order to better measure the well-being or quality of life and progress of nations, digitization needs to be taken into account, among other trends, in “a need to move beyond GDP.” “Many countries are moving beyond just the measurement and monitoring of indicators to a more fulsome integration of quality of life into the policy process. The Government of Canada is moving in a similar direction,” StatCan wrote in its study which took place prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and was released Monday. The study highlighted economic, social, and environmental issues that have potential impacts on the well-being of citizens, digitization among them, with recommendations on how to develop data and measurement activities. “The breadth of the digital transformation is immense, affecting virtually all aspects of peoples’ lives. The impacts of the digital transformation are also varied, ranging from minor adaptations in daily life to potentially transformative changes in fundamental values and processes,” the paper reads. According to StatCan, citing research from a 2018 Pew Research Center study, 47 per cent of technology experts, health specialists, and other “key informants” expect well-being “to be more helped than harmed by digital life in the next decade,” while 32 per cent expect well-being to be more harmed and 21 per cent did not expect much change. StatCan noted there is still “much unknown” in the digital field such as “how wide ranging the data needs are,” as there are “five aspects of well-being that appear susceptible to the impacts of technology but have received little or no attention in well-being frameworks.” These include human development, early childhood learning, mental health, social inclusion, personal and public security, and governance. As a result, StatCan said it wants to undertake several research initiatives to better the implications of digitization for the measurement of well-being such as updating the Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS), which will be looked at in 2022, with questions that focus more on well-being. It will also look to estimate the impact of free online services, and the impact of those free services on a user’s well-being, such as social networks, cloud storage, and point-to-point video service. Among its recommendations is to undertake a program of research on issues such as the perceived impacts of social media use; on-line victimization; digital skills; and technology use among population groups such as seniors -- and the links with mental health. “This research will help inform the identification of relevant indicators moving forward, including the intensity and frequency use of digital devices and their impact on adults and children, as well as by other intersecting identities,” StatCan wrote in its paper. According to its comparative analysis between the measurements used by the Canadian Index of Well-being (CIW), Sustainable Development Goals Canada (SDGs), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Wales and Scotland; SDGs Canada is the only framework that measures the percentage of households that have access to fixed broadband internet access services. Along with Scotland, SDGs Canada is also the only framework to measure the percentage of the population that has access to the latest generally deployed mobile wireless technology.

StatCan looks to include digitization with new well-being measurements

Brief | July 12, 2021

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

StatCan looks to include digitization with new well-being measurements

Brief | July 12, 2021

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Related Stories

Bloc condemns reported integration of CBC English and French services

Canada and EU reiterate digital cooperation framework

Canadian Digital Regulators Forum established to address digital policy

Tories announce changes to critics positions

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us