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.
|