Canadians say technology speeds work but adds digital toil

Samsung Canada has published survey findings showing that Canadians say technology helps them work faster while also creating more digital tasks to manage. The study surveyed 1,547 adults in Canada.

The results point to a gap between the speed technology can offer and the effort required to handle alerts, messages, app switching and information overload. Three-quarters of respondents said technology helps them get things done faster, but 68% said it also gives them more to manage.

More than half, 57%, said the more digital tools they use, the more they have to manage. For many users, the findings suggest that added software and connected services have increased the administrative burden tied to everyday work and personal tasks.

Digital friction

The survey identified routine sources of disruption that respondents said slow them down several times a week. Managing messages and notifications was cited by 77% of respondents, while 70% pointed to searching for information they knew they had already received or seen.

Keeping track of multiple tasks or conversations at once created unnecessary effort for 66% of those surveyed. Switching between apps or digital services was cited by 62%.

The findings also tracked the effect on wellbeing and focus. Some 59% said they feel mentally drained or overwhelmed at least a few times a week when technology, information or competing priorities make it harder to get things done. Another 57% said they spend more time deciding what to do next than actually doing it.

Nearly half of respondents, 46%, said they often end the day feeling busy without feeling as productive as they expected. The result adds to a wider debate among technology companies, employers and policymakers over whether digital tools are reducing friction or simply shifting it into new forms of work.

Tarik Akad, Vice President of the Mobile Experience Division at Samsung Canada, commented on the findings.

"Technology has delivered enormous gains in what people can accomplish, but these findings show that more capability doesn't automatically mean less effort. The industry's challenge now is not simply adding more intelligent features. It is making that intelligence almost invisible, working in the background to surface what matters, remove unnecessary steps and make everything else feel simpler," said Tarik Akad, Vice President of the Mobile Experience Division at Samsung Canada.

Gen Z response

The survey found similar patterns among younger adults despite their familiarity with digital tools. Among Gen Z respondents, 58% said they spend too much time on manual steps just to make technology work.

Just over half of Gen Z, 51%, said switching between apps or digital services creates unnecessary effort or slows them down at least daily. A slightly higher share, 53%, said they feel mentally drained or overwhelmed at least daily when technology, information or competing priorities get in the way.

Even so, the research indicates that younger users are open to a larger role for artificial intelligence in managing tasks. Among Gen Z respondents, 83% selected at least one AI feature as potentially valuable in helping them get things done with less effort.

The broader sample also showed interest in AI tools that reduce routine digital work. Two-thirds of Canadians, 66%, selected at least one AI feature as potentially valuable in helping them get things done with less effort.

Respondents said they saw value in AI simplifying information, automating repetitive tasks, supporting decision-making and bringing information together across apps and services. Those preferences align closely with the frustrations identified elsewhere in the survey, especially around fragmented workflows and repeated searches.

What users want

Asked what would improve everyday mobile experiences, respondents most often chose reducing the number of steps needed to complete a task. That option was selected by 38%.

Bringing relevant information together instead of forcing users to search across apps was selected by 30%. Completing more tasks without switching devices and moving between tasks without losing their place were each chosen by 29%.

Reducing distractions was selected by 25%, while 23% said they wanted to view multiple pieces of information at once. Together, those responses suggest users place a premium on simpler task flows and fewer interruptions rather than on a wider range of stand-alone features.

The research was conducted using the Leger Opinion panel platform and weighted by age, gender and region to reflect the population according to census data. For comparison purposes, Samsung Canada said a probability-based sample of 1,500 respondents would carry a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.