New technologies available to the general public transformed Quebec society in many ways at the turn of the 21st century. To start, the internet gave users access to the whole world and a wealth of information with just a few clicks. Since the world was connected via the internet, communication between countries and cultures was much more efficient. Quebec was modernized and underwent a profound transformation while adapting to this new reality.
Companies increasingly turned to the internet at the beginning of the new millennium. This new tool was a space for spreading culture, a space in which the whole world could connect. As a result, Québécois were exposed to cultural productions from abroad, which competed with Quebec’s cultural industry.
The arrival of technologies transformed social relationships, while email and social media became more important. These new means of communication led Québécois to maintain social connections on new web platforms where users could build virtual identities.
People no longer have to wait for newspapers to be printed to access information: quick access creates a constant flow of information available as soon as it is put online.
However, fake news is easily spread because anyone can now produce and publish content freely on social media. Users must therefore be aware and able to distinguish real and fake news.
Plagiarism is another problem that the internet has amplified. Users do not always respect copyright. This is one reason the Canadian government enacted the Copyright Modernization Act in 2012, further regulating downloaded content protected by copyright.
At the end of the 20th century, several companies grew so large that they created multiple media divisions working on various distribution platforms. This integration created media empires controlling radio stations, television channels and popular newspapers around the country and in the province.
For example, Québecor is a Quebec-based company that owns several media outlets. Vidéotron, Le Journal de Montréal, Le Journal de Québec, Groupe TVA and LCN are all owned by Québecor.
As a result, many are concerned that information is becoming standardized and that ideas are becoming less diverse due to a single company owning many media outlets.