Women, men differ in online behavior

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Men and women differ in Internet behavior, such as frequency of Web surfing, online community membership and reading habits, U.S. researchers said.

Data analysis by Michael Gilbert of the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication's Center for the Digital Future, found that one in seven Internet users who visit online communities, such as Facebook, said their online activities are reducing their involvement with offline counterparts "at least somewhat," a response reported by three times as many males compared to females.

Gilbert's analysis showed that men are also more likely to meet in person with a contact they make in online communities; six in 10 have done so compared to half of the women.

"It's not a surprise that women are more cautious meeting up offline," said Gilbert, "but the greater inclination of men to connect with their online community members is a trend we're watching."

Fifty-three percent of men are more likely to surf the Web daily compared to 40 percent of women, Gilbert said.

Women spend two hours more each week with books offline, but men make some of that up, spending an hour and a half more at their monitors reading online newspapers, magazines and books.