In this article and study called "Gendering the Digital Divide," it goes very in-depth in explaining why there is a gender digital divide at all. It reinforces my research on reasons why the gender digital divide exists, and also brings in the new information about how men and women use the Internet differently.
The fact that men and women use the Internet for different things has been pretty much accepted. This article suggests that the reason women may use the Internet more for communication is because it is seen as their role to be the organizer or event planner of the family. The article also goes on to discuss how even though gender roles aren't quite as defined as they used to be, women still do more care-giving than men, which severely restricts their time online. So, maybe the women don't have all the time they would like to pursue hobbies or read the news online. It could be that when they do get a chance to use the Internet, they would rather communicate with family and friends.
On the other hand, men are still sometimes considered as the ones who need to "bring home the bacon" and while working outside the home, they most likely have computer access, where they can share videos or play games or read up on current events.
Since gender roles are becoming more blurred and men are taking on more at home responsibility while women continue to excel in careers, this gender digital divide might not last very long. Women will gain more time to access the Internet and possibly participate in more varied activities. However, the issue still remains that if children are socialized to believe that computers and technology are only for boys, the gender digital divide will continue to flourish.
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