Some 39% of female Gen Z respondents said TikTok ads were most likely to get them to buy a product (IRi and The Female Quotient, May 2021 report). In the same survey, traditional TV advertising held less sway (31%) than TikTok but still beat out ads and influencer posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

There are not enough products that offer solutions to female consumers. Erectile dysfunction affects about 10% to 15% of men, but products targeting this condition have received 10 times more funding than all menstrual health products, which affects 90% of women and people with periods.

Black women outperform Black men by various measures but also experience the dual stresses of racial and gender inequalities. DEI efforts may resonate better with Black women (as well as other social justice-minded consumers) if companies recognize intersectionality and address common interests and concerns across intersectional demographics.

Females, lower-income, and unmarried individuals ages 18 to 29 experienced significantly more distress than other segments of the same age group (Pew Research Center). Three-quarters of Gen Z females ages 16 to 23 said being in “limbo” and facing uncertainty about the future caused them at least some stress.

Goldman Sachs faces 2019 claims that technology used to measure creditworthiness might be biased against women. Wells Fargo’s refinancing practices found the bank only approved 47% of Black homeowners’ mortgage refinancing applications in 2020. Three Federal Reserve economists found in a 2021 paper that algorithmic systems for mortgage underwriting gave higher denial rates for minority borrowers.

More than 58% of male internet users in Russia, and nearly 49% of females, had tuned in to broadcast radio during the month prior to the survey in Q1 2021. Among affluent respondents, 61.8% had listened to live radio, while engagement was far lower among the youngest adults, ages 16 to 24, at 34.5%.

Younger adults, females, and respondents in middle- and higher-income households were more likely to view movies, TV programs, and other video content via paid-for services. Despite the rise in digital video consumption, only 35.2% of internet users owned a smart TV in H1 2021.

As in previous years, females were marginally more likely than males to own a tablet or smartphone; ownership of desktops and laptops was roughly equal in both groups. In addition, PC penetration was notably low among those ages 16 to 34 and in lower-income households. Larger screens still claimed a longer period of time each day.

Readership was also much higher among males (55.0%) than females (46.5%). Age, income, and gender were factors in print magazine readership too, though the variations were less pronounced. Broadcast radio enjoyed a much wider audience than print media in H1 2021.

According to BlockThrough, 51% of male internet users and 30% of female internet users in the US across age groups use an ad blocker. The use of ad blockers is more prominent on desktops and laptops than on phones: Just over 50% of US adults 18 and up use an ad blocker on computers, with younger people using them more prominently, per CivicScience.

But tablets remained more popular among females and older internet users, and in affluent homes, where penetration was above 55%. Smartphone penetration in the US has finally passed 95%. Among female internet users, those 35 to 54, and respondents in middle- and higher-income homes, more than 96% owned an advanced handset in H1 2021. Time spent with mobile phones had risen to 3:12.

Most of the same factors applied to tablets, though female ownership was higher for these devices. Smart TVs also entered more households in H1 2021, taking penetration to 38.2%. Ownership was highest (52.8%) among those in high-income households, while older respondents and city dwellers posted above-average penetration. Males and females were equally likely to own a smart TV.

Females were more likely than males to use either social or messaging platforms.

One in five women worry about educational debt, which is 80% higher than their male counterparts. Nearly half of rural consumers struggle with access to financial advice, which amounts to roughly $400 billion of unadvised investment assets. The bigger picture: Digital access, open banking, and neobanks have changed the way people handle their money by expanding their choices.