Males are not in the majority of the US population, according to US Census Bureau estimates. Between 2008 and 2013, males will account for roughly 49% of the total population.
Not surprisingly, males are not in the majority online, either.
eMarketer estimates there are 95.9 million males online in 2009, or 48.2% of the Internet population, compared with 103.2 million females.
Although the US Internet population will continue to grow, by 2013 males will make up just 47.9% of the online population, and at 105.9 million users will still be the minority.
The figures are important because gender, even more than race or ethnicity, is a distinguishing factor of Internet use, informing online behavior and attitudes.
“Men spend more time online, conduct more searches on a daily basis and do not mind seeing ads,” says Lisa E. Phillips, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, Men Online. “They are as engaged in social media as women are, and most are not put off by the companies and brands they find there.”
Online, men go on more often and stay longer than females.
In November 2008, Nielsen Online recorded an average of 60 PC sessions per male Internet user compared with an average of 54 sessions for female users.
Average time spent online was 4.4 hours longer for males than females.
A Gallup poll found 53% of males spent more than 1 hour per day on the Internet, compared with just 42% of females. By contrast, more females reported being online for an hour or less per day, 19% versus 15% of males.
Fewer men also said they had “never” been online—15% of males compared with 20% of females.
“Gender is just one factor that affects what people do online. It is does not dictate individual actions any more than age, race or ethnicity are absolute determinants,” says Ms. Phillips. “Still, gender does play a very basic role in human life—and that is borne out even on the Internet.”
To better understand the average male’s behavior, online at least, download the new eMarketer report, Men Online, today.