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INTERNET GENDER GAP HAS CLOSED IN U.S. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 46% of Web surfers are now female, compared with just 18% in 1996. Much of the "gender gap" has closed in the last six months, during which 9 million American women went online for the first time. After surveying 3,533 adults in March, Pew researchers concluded that men and women spent roughly equal time online, with women tending to frequent health and medical sites, and men using the Net to research product information and trade stocks. The findings mirror those of another market research study released last month by the Angus Reid Group of Vancouver, Canada, which said American men and women spend equal time surfing the Net and placing online shopping orders. And in contrast to some earlier reports, the two recent studies found that being online contributes to social interaction and family connections, rather than fueling isolation and depression. "The Internet is not isolationist; it's 'connectionist,'" says Pew official Lee Rainie. (Los Angeles Times 11 May 2000) "http://www.latimes.com/business/20000511/t000044476.html" "http://www.newsscan.com/newsscan/newscup.html" janet paterson 53 now / 41 dx / 37 onset 613 256 8340 / PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario K0A 1A0 Canada come visit my website "a new voice" at: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/