from the Chicago sun-Times

Net clicks with more Americans

   August 27, 1998

   BY HOWARD WOLINSKY BUSINESS REPORTER

   Sandra Mandell ``loves toys,'' and her favorite these days is her
   computer.

   The 58-year-old Near North Sider recently has used her computer and
   Internet connection to research a honeymoon vacation in the south of
   France for one of her children. And she has been checking out the
   climate in Turkey for a trip she hopes to make soon.

   She investigated information about a rare cancer for a friend. She
   entered cyberspace to order the right flowers for her garden based on
   light and soil conditions, and she had flowers shipped to her parents
   in Florida.

   She also exchanges e-mail with friends and family, who attach pictures
   of their children and grandchildren and share jokes and news.

   ``In some ways, the computer and e-mail are taking the place of the
   telephone,'' said the homemaker, who plays Mah-Jongg and casino games
   on her computer. ``It's marvelous, absolutely phenomenal.''

   Mandell doesn't fit the stereotype of the adolescent male hacker, but
   she does match the latest Net trends. Nielsen Media Research and
   CommerceNet reported this week that more than 70 million Americans
   older than 16 use the Internet.

   The survey found the fastest-growing groups included women 50 and
   older. During the period studied, there was a 50 percent increase in
   the number of women going online. That's nearly 5 million of the 70
   million who are online.

   ``More and more of my friends are getting computers and using the
   Internet,'' Mandell said. ``I wish I received a commission for the
   computers that have been purchased based on my recommendation.''

   Jodi Turek, president of the Women's Forum, a Chicago-based network of
   Web sites aimed at women, said, ``The numbers don't surprise me. Women
   over 50 are a segment that is well-educated and knowledgeable. They
   take to new technology very easily. They want to keep up with their
   grandchildren and Web sites that relate to their lifestyles and
   interests.''

   Turek, whose network's Web sites are visited by 2 million women a
   month, said sites on health, fitness and travel are especially popular
   with women over 50.

   Other findings from the Nielsen study, which was based on random
   telephone interviews of more than 4,000 Americans in June, include:

   * More than 40 million American men and 30 million women use the
   Internet. The growth rate among men and women overall during the
   nine-month period was about the same.

   * Most Americans between 16 and 24 are using the Internet, about 18.8
   million of them, including 70 percent of men in that age group and 51
   percent of women.

   * Asian Americans had the highest use rate among racial groups: 58
   percent of Asian-American men, or 34.6 million, and 38 percent of
   Asian-American women, or 26 million. In comparison, 36 percent of
   whites are online.

   * Among African Americans, the report estimated 5.6 million, or 24
   percent, use the Internet, an increase of 53 percent from nine months
   earlier.

   * The report estimated that 868,000 Native Americans are online, or 24
   percent, an increase of 70 percent over nine months.

   The Clinton administration has been urging that steps be taken to
   bridge the ``digital divide'' among minorities. The Commerce
   Department reported last month that whites are more than twice as
   likely to own a home computer as blacks or Hispanics.