The business of being online used to be just that for the male species --- yup, men went online due to work, communication because and for work, yadah, yadah. True, some chat too but going online for socialization as in chatting, then later on Skype-ing or YM-ing was a realm women delved into.

Well, social networking sites are reaching a higher percentage of women than men worldwide, with 75.8 percent of all women online visiting such sites in May, versus 69.7 percent of men, according to a new report from comScore. And it's not just Multiply, Facebook or Twitter that holds the global appeal.

In South Korea, it's CyWorld, in Russia, it's Vkontakte, in Germany, StudiVZ and in Japan, Mixi. All in all, women spend 30 percent more time on social networking sites than men, averaging 5.5 hours a month on them compared to 4 hours for men. The findings, in a report on "Women on the Web:
How Women are Shaping the Internet," run "counter to expectations," said comScore analyst Andrew Lipsman. "That women now drive a solid majority of Internet usage represents a significant change in behavior from the early days of the Internet."

The analyst aforementioned attributes the shift to the "emergence of social media and online communications channels, in which women are more likely to engage." There’s also this misconception that women prefer to do more of their shopping in-store while men prefer the instant gratification of online shopping. This isn’t simply the case anymore. Women are also actively engaged in areas that are typically associated with males, such as gadgets buying, stock exchange, adult content and gambling?

Yup, you’d be surprised to know that some women are hooked on online betting or casino action where there’s virtual money being passed. I know of some senior citizens or golden girls who have this as their fave pastime and had PCs installed in their bedrooms. exclusive territory of men.

Engaging in online vices is no longer the Analyst Lipsman of comScore says that his findings are based on 2 million "opt-in Internet users who allowed them to passively observe their online behavior.

Social networking sites need to be considered more seriously by advertisers. In the United States, many advertisers still believe that women magazines, celebrity gossip and baby sites are the best places to reach women online. Sure such sites still appeal to most women but they are by no means the only game in town.

Women are actually more engaged than men on the Internet, and they’ve diversified their surfing and searches of material or sites they wanna be in. Women chart their own course.

You’ll be surprised where they end up being in or getting into. Just widen those horizons!

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