Research Shows More Teenage Girls Than Boys Online

There are currently more teenage girls than boys using the internet in the UK, according to a survey of over 40,000 internet users by Fletcher Research. Whilst overall, UK web users are split 60:40 male to female, amongst users aged 24 and under the majority are female, according to the survey.

Older web users are predominately male, with only around one fifth of the 55+ age group currently women. The survey shows that girls are particularly attracted to the internet as a means to communicate with their friends through online chat rooms. Boys were found to use the internet more for entertainment, or for downloading software and music.

These findings come as there is an increase in online activity specifically targeting women. Sensing a gap in current internet provision for women, Associated New Media (ANM) has begun work on a new female-oriented website project, currently going under the name of CharlotteStreet.com (see Associated Plans Women’s Website Launch). ANM is ploughing £5 million into the venture and will target women of a wide age range. The group describes the site as: “An essential information source giving UK women what they want from the web.”

As well as CharlotteStreet.com, major High Street retail group Arcadia recently launched a transactional website called zoom.co.uk. Through zoom, Arcadia sells products from its stores which include Principles, Dorothy Perkins and Top Man. William Reeve, research director at Fletcher, sees this as an important area for retailers.

“These findings demonstrate that the days when UK High Street retailers could ignore the web on the grounds that women (who decide the majority of purchase decisions) are not online are over. We expect to see a flurry of women-focused activity in the next few months as publishers and retailers react to this significant opportunity,” says Reeve.

Fletcher Research: 0171 631 0202 … http://www.fletch.co.uk/