In a recently released Memo/Report on the use of the Internet by both men and women from PEWInternet, Deborah Fallows, Senior Research Fellow at the Pew Internet Project and author of the new report, writes that men pursue many Internet activities more intensively than women, and that men still try the latest technologies first. Fallows continues, though, noting that women are catching up in overall use and are framing their online experience with a greater emphasis on deepening connections with people.
"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 Fallows.
Some highlights from the new report show:
Men and women also value the Internet as a gateway to limitless vaults of information. Men reach farther and wider for topics, from getting financial information to political news.
Women are more likely to see the vast array of online information as a “glut” and to penetrate deeper into areas where they have the greatest interest, including health and religion. Women tend to treat information gathering online as a more textured and interactive process.
The full Pew Internet Project report is available here.