As an information and communication technology, the Internet has contributed to structural changes in social life. This technology has opened up new social spaces for people to communicate across time and space, explore interests and interactions, and form and maintain relationships. Gender is a social structure that matters, but how it matters online is a topic that has intrigued researchers for the last 20 years. Research in the area of online gender interactions is multidisciplinary and addresses a variety of online forums including discussion groups, chat, instant messaging, blogs, virtual worlds and social network sites. Patterns are identified in the literature and examples of gender fluidity, gender reproduction, and a blending of gender fluidity and reproduction are presented. This paper provides a framework for understanding the multidisciplinary research on this topic and discusses how changes in online demographics and recent developments in information and communication technologies, such as social network sites, present new forums in which to explore the role of gender in online interactions.
Within the last decade, the Internet has become one of the fastest growing technologies. According to research conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, nearly 60% of the United States (U.S.) population is now online, with variation based on race, age, education, region and income (Spooner, 2003). Despite the persistent discrepancies in access, Internet usage among the U.S. population is steadily increasing, up by 9% since 2000. Throughout the 1990s, well-educated white men primarily populated the Internet; however, this situation has changed in the last 5 years. As of 2000, women made up 50% of Internet users and “Hispanics [were] just as likely to be online as whites, and African Americans are coming online at accelerating rates” (Horrigan, 2000, p. 2). Overall, the Pew study found that activities such as e-mail (and other online communication forums); online shopping; Web surfing; connectivity with family and friends; hobbies; news; and information are popular online uses. Through the Pew Institute’s many studies, it is clear the Internet is a key aspect of social life in U.S. culture.
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