The latest survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project confirms what parents of adolescent girls already know: young women are embracing the Internet at a higher rate than young men. The report “How Women and Men Use the Internet” says that 86% of women ages 18 to 29 are online, compared with 80% of men in the same age group.
The disparity is even greater among African Americans — 60% of young women are online, compared with 50% of young men. Still, because the older age groups tilt toward men, men edge out women in Internet usage — 68% of all men compared to 66% of all women.
And of course, what the two sexes do online is quite different. Men search out entertainment (ahem) and information, while women seek to connect with others through email.
Women are enthusiastic online communicators, and they use email in a more robust way. Women are more likely than men to use email to write to friends and family about a variety of topics: sharing news and worries, planning events, forwarding jokes and funny stories. Women are more likely to feel satisfied with the role email plays in their lives, especially when it comes to nurturing their relationships.
One interesting finding that contradicts this traditional view of women, and not highlighted in the report’s summary: men use IM more than women, by a ratio of 42% to 39%. That may not be statistically significant, but given the role that IM plays in maintaining social and business relationships, you’d think that women would far outpace men on this measure.
Cynthia Brumfield at 10:30 AM|Comments(0)
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