By sciencebase, Section News Posted on Mon Jun 23, 2008 at 10:13:38 AM PST
US researchers have found that men are more likely to share their creative work online than women despite the fact that women and men engage in creative activities at about the same rates.
"Because sharing information on the Internet today is a form of participating in public culture and contributing to public discourse, that gap tells us that men's voices are being disproportionately heard," says Eszter Hargittai, assistant professor of communication studies at Northwestern University. Hargittai co-authored the study with Northwestern researcher Gina Walejko.
Overall, almost two-thirds of men reported posting their work online while only half of women reported doing so. When Hargittai and Northwestern's Walejko controlled for self-reported digital literacy and Web know-how, however, they found that men and women actually posted their material about equally.
"This suggests that the Internet is not an equal playing field for men and women since those with more online abilities -- whether perceived or actual -- are more likely to contribute online content," says Hargittai. "
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