Women closing the internet gender gap

The web has traditionally been a male bastion - but women are closing the internet's gender gap, a new study reveals.

Research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that 61% of American men go online each day, compared with 57% of women. But while there is a greater proportion of men using the internet, the larger female population means there are now more women than men on the web. The study suggests that while men are holding on to their status as early adopters of the web, younger women are outstripping their male counterparts in nearly all areas. While older men are more likely to use the internet than older women, the opposite is true for younger users - 86% of women aged 18 to 29 will regularly connect to the web, as opposed to 80% of men in the same range.

The study, which examined the habits of more than 6,000 internet users across the US, shows the sexes have different uses for the web. While men are more interested in information, women are concerned with communication and social networks. Men are more likely to read the news, check weather forecasts, download music and do job-related research. Women send email, view maps, and get background information on health problems.

"If there is an overall pattern of differences here, it is that men value the internet for the breadth of experiences it offers, and women value it for the human connections," said Deborah Fallows, senior research fellow at Washington-based Pew and author of the report.



http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,16559,1675291,00.html

As I've been online longer than almost everyone I know, male and female, and I look to the web for information, research, both near and far, and as a primary source of far more than interaction with others. I know in the early days, though, I was in an even bigger minority, though, as many of those I knew online were males, and it was only on ISPs such as AOL that I found more women.

However, perhaps it was because of my interest in science and science fiction that made working with the net and computers come more easily to me.

... because there are a lot more females looking for information than they seem to realize.

:evilgrin:

The Internet is for Porn!
The Internet is for Porn!
Grab your d*ck and double-click!
The Internet is for Porn!

- Avenue Q

I got the Avenue Q CD for Solstice. It's great!

Had to call my ex-wife today in NJ and tell her to go see it with her husband -- and I've NEVER recommended a Broadway Play before.

Funny how we are both right on the smut threads huh? ;-)

What is this Avenue Q thread that you speak of?

:evilgrin:

It was a woman's pass-along gift of a used computer got me online ten years ago, that woman and two others (one a college-instructor relative who is a former professional nurd) who taught me everything I know about computers, and the same woman who gave me my first computer (and the pass-along gift that became my second computer too) I routinely consult whenever I am stumped by the technology.

I wonder if this apparent prevalence of women is a Pacific Northwest phenomenon (note that Sen. Maria Cantwell comes from the computer world) or if I because of coincidence and personality traits am merely viewing what sociologists would call a "biased sample."

Also though I have noted time and time again that male computer experts never have time for neophytes such as me (and in fact arrogantly and quite maliciously dismiss us as morons and fools), while the women in the field will not only soothe whatever embarrassment we might feel about our ignorance (which is after all a measure of financial status or rather lack thereof). These women also invariably take whatever time is necessary to make certain we compu-dunces actually understand the information being imparted.

Not surprisingly, all of the people I know who work professionally with seniors on Tacoma's several computer literacy projects are women, themselves often older, and some approaching senior citizen status. This is not a "biased sample" as I have done a couple of stories on these projects and have interviewed everyone so involved.

Even so I must confess I will probably never be truly comfortable with computers. I am strictly a steam-age man: instinctively upon viewing a new piece of machinery even now my mind asks, "how do you crack the throttle and where do you shovel in the coal?"

I'm an 'older' woman and I've been using the internet for 15-20 years. As I've aged, I've tended to use it more, not less. I primarily use it to gather information, (NEWS, since we essentially get none from any other source in this country) and for weather and formerly for job-related searches.

Of course I research health, diet, and other things with it, but mostly use it for news, music, weather, etc. Oh. Maps too. I love google maps. Still an interesting study. I've pointed out to people that there are more women than men in the general population, which this study tips its hat to, but no one ever believes me.

I'm 'older' in my fifties. I haven't been on as long as you but I have been on it 10 years and in the last few years I've increased the amount of time. I would've guessed that the women out number the men, anyway they seem to on most all discussion boards probably 10-1.

Been on about 10 years. Started when I found out all the resources I could use for my genealogical research. Totally self taught. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Now I am online as much, if not more, than my daughters who are in their 20s. I go online for EVERYTHING from news to shopping to online banking to talking to my daughter away at college. It's WONDERFUL.

Women send email, view maps, and get background information on health problems.


View Maps?? :shrug: