Understanding Canada’s youngest media consumers: An introduction to MTM Jr.

Understanding how kids and teens use media is essential for advertisers and marketers. As young audiences spend more time online and on devices, knowing what they watch, play, and listen to helps brands create content and campaigns that truly connect. These insights also support more responsible, targeted advertising that speaks to youth in meaningful ways.

What is MTM Jr.?

MTM Jr. (Media Technology Monitor Junior) is Canada's first annual youth media survey, focusing on the behaviours and activities of Canadians aged 2 to 17. As a product of the Media Technology Monitor (MTM), MTM Jr. aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the media consumption habits of today's youngest audiences and consumers.

The survey covers a wide range of topics, including device ownership and use (such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, wearables, and smart speakers), gaming habits (console ownership, online gaming, esports), streaming video preferences (platforms like YouTube and Netflix), household profiles (income, region, composition, language), streaming audio usage (podcasting, music services), household technology profiles (TV subscriptions, internet access), AM/FM radio consumption, and social networking behaviours (sites used, parental controls).

MTM Jr. uses a representative methodology based on an online survey. Parents answer the first part of the survey for children aged 11 and under, while teens respond to their own set of questions. The data is collected from approximately 2,100 households, encompassing around 3,200 children aged 2 to 17, equally split between Anglophones and Francophones across all Canadian provinces.

Highlights from MTM Jr.'s 2026 survey

The MTM Jr 2026 survey explores key trends shaping youth media, including gaming and VR, content discovery, co-viewing habits, YouTube content length, and social media creation.

• Anglophone kids are nearly twice as likely to watch FAST channels as are francophone kids. This is likely tied to there being more content available in English than French.

• 37% of teens find out about new SVOD content (e.g. content on Netflix) via social media.

• 7 in 10 Canadian teens use AI tools at least once a month, while 14% say they use them daily.
  

Subscribe to MTM Jr.

Subscribers to MTM Jr. gain access to executive-level syndicated reports, past and current questionnaires, and powerful interactive tools that make it easy to extract actionable insights from the data. 

The Data Analysis Tool (DAT) allows you to generate customized cross-tabulations across hundreds of variables—such as age, gender, region, or media platform. It’s a flexible, user-friendly tool ideal for conducting deep dives into audience profiles and media usage patterns.

The Trending Tool complements this by offering an intuitive way to visualize how key metrics evolve over time. Users can easily track shifts in behaviors such as device adoption, streaming habits, or social media use, helping identify long-term trends and emerging opportunities.

Executive-level Syndicated Reports provide targeted information on the behaviours and activities of children aged 2 - 17, making it easier to find the information you need.

Learn more about MTM Surveys