Online Gender Gap

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4555370.stm

I found an interesting site discussing the gender gap online. The author states, "Gender divisions persist online, but it is no longer about whether more men or women use the net." A study done by the Pew Internet Project found interesting differences in the way men and women use the Internet. The study found that just as many women as men use the internet in today's society. The gap arises in the way men and women choose to use the internet.

The study found that men like the internet because it gives them an opportunity to try new ways to do things. On the other hand, women use the Internet mainly for communication purposes. Women use the email feature more often than men. Men tend to use email when they want to stay in contact with an organization. On the other hand, women use email to stay in touch with friends and relatives.

Men like the new opportunities the Internet offers. They tend to use the Internet to try new technologies and participate in recreational activies, such as fantasy sports leagues. They also use the Internet for information about sports, weather, and news. A woman's use of the Internet focuses more on email and information about health and religious information.

There is a commonality when it comes to the internet. Both men and women enjoy and utilize the convenience of the Internet when it comes to mundane tasks, such as paying bills.

I am not the least bit surprised by the findings of this study. I believe the results are accurate and precise. For the most part, men are always the first to jump at the opportunities that arise from technology. From my own experiences with the Internet, men do not care as much about the communication the Internet offers. They care more about the features the internet offers, such as fantasy sports leagues and the availability of information. On the other hand, women, including myself, thrive on the communication feature of the Internet. I constantly use the Internet to email friends and family. I update them on what is going on in my life, and they do the same for me. The internet has enabled an ease in communication, and I believe women value this ease more than men.

One can no longer argue that there is a gap in the number of male and female internet users in today's society. It has been found that just as many women as men use the Internet. However, there is a gap in the way men and women choose to use the Internet.