While we think of holidays as a time to be with friends and family, the majority of Canadians are not able to spend time with all those they love.

According to a new survey commissioned by Intel Canada, almost 75% of Canadians have family and friends that they want to see over the holidays but can’t.

The two biggest barriers keeping Canadians away from those they love are distance 80% of those surveyed) and financial constraints (53%).

However, Canadians are definitely staying connected.  How?  By sharing holiday cheer across great distances with the help of their computers.

“It’s not a surprise that Canadians are embracing technology as a meaningful way to connect with family and friends over the holidays,” says Elaine Mah, Canadian country manager, Intel Corporation.

“Technology has come such a long way and tools like video chat make you feel like you’re right there in person.”

Canadians are connecting with video chat, such as Skype, email and social media. The next best thing to sharing the holidays with someone in person is connecting with them using video chat, 33% of Canadians say; 23 per cent of Canadians say they are now using more video chat compared to 2009.

People of all ages are turning to computers to connect with family in meaningful ways, not just your teenagers!

According to survey results, only 17% of Canadians consider technology to be an impersonal way to connect with family and friends. It’s pretty obvious that technology has helped connect family and friends, especially during the holidays.

The only issue some Canadians have to stay connected with their loved ones is the right technology.   Watch out for the next generation of technology, like the new Ultrabook™ with Intel technology.

When making holiday videos to share with family and friends, Intel technology helps connect family and friends and share photos, movies and video chats – faster than ever before.