New study shows male/female web surfing devide

29 December 2005 15:29 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Women are catching up to men in most measures of online life however when it comes to information we both look at, the two are very different.

Men it seems, according to a new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, like the Internet for the experiences it offers, while women like it for the human connections it promotes.

The report, carried out in America also showed that men use the Internet more intensively than women choosing action over communication.

"Once you get past the commonalities, men tend to be attracted to online activities that are far more action-oriented, while women tend to value things involving relationships or human connections", said Deborah Fallows, a research fellow at Pew and author of the report.

The study also showed that the percentage of women using the Internet still lags slightly behind the percentage of men. Women under 30 and black women outpace their male peers. However, older women trail dramatically behind older men.

More than men, 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.

The report also says that women are more likely to feel satisfied with the role email plays in their lives, especially when it comes to nurturing their relationships.

Men however, are more avid consumers than women of online information. Men look for information on a wider variety of topics and issues than women do.

Men are also more likely than women to use the Internet as a destination for recreation like gathering material for their hobbies, read online for pleasure, take informal classes, participate in sports fantasy leagues, download music and videos, remix files, and listen to radio.

The report cites data from surveys performed by Pew from 2000 through 2005. Some 6403 respondents took part in 2005.

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Software, Online, Websites, Pew Internet, Surveys