Variety of online activities among two groups
As of 2022, chatting or sending messages was the most common activity by users in the United States, performed more frequently by women. In 2021, both men and women almost equally streamed online content, watched videos online, used online banking, and published self-made content. Yet other activities, like making online calls and participating in online conferences, were more common among women, whereas more men were among the more engaged podcast audiences.The concept of the platform determines the audience
As of February 2022, the overall share of female social media users in the United States was larger than the male user share. The most significant gender-related gaps were in the usage of Pinterest and Twitch. In the case of Pinterest, the audience was predominantly female. On the other hand, the video live-streaming platform was more popular among men. Platforms like Facebook , Instagram, and TikTok , which primarily provide visual content, were more favored among women. Platforms more focused on discussions and networking, such as Reddit , Twitter , and LinkedIn, saw higher usage among male audiences.Men and women experience online environments differently
Gender parity in internet access in the United States has hardly been a concern. However, there is a certain divergence in the experiences both groups have in the online space. Women were more likely to have concerns about online safety. They would like stricter content moderation policies on social media platforms, whereas men think these policies should be somewhat looser. Most women think hateful content on social media platforms should be removed or labeled inappropriate, and while also sharing a similar opinion, fewer men wanted to see such content removed. Similarly, removing sexual content from social media platforms was more extensive a concern among women than men.On specific platforms, the contrast in user experiences is even more apparent. Specifically, men using online dating sites or apps encountered fewer negative behaviors than women. As an example, the cases of women receiving sexually explicit messages or images they did not ask for were double as frequent among women than men. Accordingly, out of the two gender groups, more men thought that dating platforms were safe places for meeting new people, whereas most women thought the opposite.