ABSTRACT
A greater focus on socializing may be another180 cause for gender differences. Literature suggests that girls view close relationships as more important (Gilligan, 1982; Buhrmester, 1996). Tsai and Lin’s study (2004) indicated that female adolescents expressed greater confidence in using the Internet for general or185 communication purposes. Conducting a survey of Internet users over 15 years of age in the United States, Hoffman, Kalsbeek, and Novak (1996) found that females were more likely to use the Internet for emailing, while males were more likely to download190 software. It is possible that female adolescents tend to use e-mail to fulfill their need for social contact with friends. As to why males more often download software, online games may be behind this behavior. Some games, especially those on children’s Web sites, re-195 quire the player to download software. Since male adolescents tend to spend more time playing online games, it may lead to their spending more time downloading materials. In one final point of difference, girls more frequently surf for information about idols (Valkenburg200 & Soeters, 2001).
