If your website's message boards read like a men's locker room, here's a clue that you're out of sync with society. A new report from the Pew Internet and American Life project points out that women now outnumber men online in the United States, and that's especially true in the troublesome (for newspapers) 18-29 age bracket.
Are they showing up on your site? Women tend to use the Internet somewhat differently than men. While there's not a lot of difference in many utility applications, women seem more focused on using the net to connect with other people, the report says.
But women are highly sensitive to "worrisome behavior in chat rooms," the report points out. This should highlight the importance of strong leadership and controls on message boards. Bad behavior will drive away good people if you let it happen.
Comments
Thanks for the link to this
Thanks for the link to this important report! Even last year, the stats were touting major users of the Internet as men in the 90K per year income bracket. While women's incomes are probably lower, the rise of women's use of the Internet will, more than likely, change the landscape. Women's use just might have an impact on the civility of conversation across the 'net. Wouldn't that be an interesting development?