Daphne thanks for contributing this information to the list.
Some additional information about the different information consumption
habits based on gender is available from CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/12/29/internet.gender.reut/index.html
It reports on a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project study about the
web habits of men and women. The study found that men are heavier users of
the internet tending to "log on more frequently and spend more time
online." In addition, it discusses some of the different content and
functions men and women tend to use, "men tend to be attracted to online
activities (music downloads, chat rooms, auctions) that are far more
action-oriented, while women tend to value things involving relationships
or human connections (e-mail for interpersonal communication and
connection, advice)."

How can we (should we?) use this type of information to inform the way we
engage adult literacy students in internet use? Should we think about
engaging our male and female students differently to tap what might be most
compeling for them? Do we need to try and close the gender gap in the type
of internet use between male and female students?

Best,
Mariann



At 06:13 PM 12/29/2005 -0500, you wrote:

>On the WomenLiteracy listserv, I posted the following excerpts from an

article on Internet use and gender. Given the recent discussion on this
listserv, I thought that some of you may be interested:

>The excerpts are taken from an article posted at:

>http://www.clickz.com/stats/sectors/demographics/article.php/3574176

>

>The Online Battle of the Sexes

>* * *   Demographics 

>By Enid Burns | December 29, 2005 

>As the gender gap narrows on the Internet, demographic differences hold

more sway. The Pew Internet & American Life Project's report, "How Women
and Men Use the Internet," finds online behavior differences between the
two genders. 

>

>Since 2002, the percentage of online users has increased for both men and

women. Male online users increased from 61 percent in 2002 to 68 percent in
2005. The percentage of women online in 2002 was 57 percent; by 2005 the
number increased to 66 percent. Though the percentage of male Internet
users is consistently higher, the actual number of women online is higher
because there are more women than men in the U.S. 

>

>Age skews the gender gap. Young women, ages 18-29, are more likely to go

online than men of the same age group. Eighty-six percent of the female
group uses the Internet, compared to 80 percent of young males. 

>

>The statistics are flipped among older adults in the over 65 group.

Thirty-four percent of older men use the Web, compared to 21 percent of
women in the same age group. 

>

>Race is another demographic that sees a gender gap. White men are more

likely to use the Web: 70 percent of white men and 67 percent of white
women regularly going online. The percentage has increased for both sexes
since 2002; 62 percent of white men and 58 percent of white women were
online three years ago. 

>The percentage of African-American women outnumbers African-American men

online. Sixty percent of black women use the Web, compared to 50 percent of
black men. In 2002, only 46 percent of black women and 48 percent of black
men used the Web. 

>

>English-speaking Hispanic women make up a fairly equal portion of the Web

population. From 2002 to 2005, the percentage of online women in this group
increased from 56 percent to 66 percent. Men from the English-speaking
Hispanic community increased from 59 percent online three years ago to 67
percent this year. 

>

>Married couples are more likely to go online than their single

counterparts. Seventy-five percent of married or living-as-married women
use the Internet compared to 56 percent of single women. Men mirror the
statistic; 72 percent of married and living-as-married men are online, and
only 62 percent of single men use the Internet. 

>

>

>

>Daphne Greenberg

>Assistant Professor

>Educational Psych. & Special Ed.

>Georgia State University

>P.O. Box 3979

>Atlanta, Georgia 30302-3979

>phone: 404-651-0127

>fax:404-651-4901

>dgreenberg at gsu.edu

>

>Daphne Greenberg

>Associate Director

>Center for the Study of Adult Literacy

>Georgia State University

>P.O. Box 3977

>Atlanta, Georgia 30302-3977

>phone: 404-651-0127

>fax:404-651-4901

>dgreenberg at gsu.edu

>----------------------------------------------------

>National Insitute for Literacy

>Technology and Literacy mailing list

>Technology at nifl.gov

>To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/technology

>

>




Mariann Fedele
Coordinator of Professional Development, 
Literacy Assistance Center
Moderator,
NIFL Technology and Literacy Discussion List
32 Broadway 10th Floor
New York, New York 10004
212-803-3325
mariannf at lacnyc.org
www.lacnyc.org