Gender and IT in the Household: Evolving Patterns of Internet Use in the United States

Information technology (IT)—computers and related technologies—is the latest technology to enter the household. Like other technologies, gender is a major factor in its adoption and use as well as its perceived usefulness. Unlike prior household technologies, the computer's entry into the household has followed a different pattern. Early statistics revealed a vast gender divide, with men using computers and related technologies much more in the household. More recent statistics show a narrowing of the divide, perhaps even a reversal, particularly in the United States, with women outnumbering men in the access to and use of the Internet. In this article, the role of gender and its relationship with Internet use in the home are reviewed. In addition to overall adoption and access, the review focuses on specific Internet applications and examines the factors that contribute to gender differences in adoption and use of computers and Internet applications in the home.

Keywords:

• gender
• gender role
• household research
• internet adoption
• sexual/Division of Internet use
• time utilization

Acknowledgments

Financial and technical assistance was provided by RITIM (Research Institute for Telecommunications and Information Marketing), College of Business Administration, The University of Rhode Island. I am also grateful for the comments of anonymous reviewers and of the special issue editor, Dr. Alladi Venkatesh. I have taken advantage of the generosity of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which makes its data available for analysis (http://www.pewinternet.org).

Notes

1. Elaboration of work is the time and effort spent on specific household activity such as cooking and cleaning. Most of these activities have expanded—multiple dishes rather than one-pot stew for a meal, or frequent laundry rather than occasional spring cleaning—despite/because of the availability of machines such as electric/gas stoves and washing/drying machines.