Internet Video Usage
iMedia Connection's Michael Estrin writes that women are watching internet video less than their male counterparts, according to a recent survey by eMarketer. Debra Aho Williamson, the report's author, was quoted in TelecomTV as saying that "women don’t feel they have the time for, or don’t want to have the time for" time-wasting internet videos.
However, women do seem to have time for social networking, as they outnumber men on Myspace and in general internet usage, Williamson told Australian IT News. In the Australian article, Williamson also says that age is a factor in watching internet video, with female teens being as enthusiastic about internet video as their male counterparts. In 2000, Bruce Bimber said that "one-half of the digital divide between men and women on the Internet is fundamentally gender related", with the remainder being explained by socioeconomic factors, and predicted that the gender gap in use might narrow.
While the survey results are no doubt interesting, Williamson's explanations are a catalog of gender stereotypes. I'm not saying that the stereotypes aren't true; I'm just amused at what feels like a list of Difference Blog topics. She says in one story that women are "supreme communicators" and in another that "men are more visual." She also suggests that women don't have time for some types of internet content (videos, extended game-play) due to juggling "child-care responsibilities."
However, women do seem to have time for social networking, as they outnumber men on Myspace and in general internet usage, Williamson told Australian IT News. In the Australian article, Williamson also says that age is a factor in watching internet video, with female teens being as enthusiastic about internet video as their male counterparts. In 2000, Bruce Bimber said that "one-half of the digital divide between men and women on the Internet is fundamentally gender related", with the remainder being explained by socioeconomic factors, and predicted that the gender gap in use might narrow.
While the survey results are no doubt interesting, Williamson's explanations are a catalog of gender stereotypes. I'm not saying that the stereotypes aren't true; I'm just amused at what feels like a list of Difference Blog topics. She says in one story that women are "supreme communicators" and in another that "men are more visual." She also suggests that women don't have time for some types of internet content (videos, extended game-play) due to juggling "child-care responsibilities."