Gender and Computer Use,
Evidence of Gender Disparity in Children's Computer Use and Activities
Abstract
This multi-method study examines the differences in male and female computer
use in the home of children ages 9-14. Long interviews, observations, and
surveys with children show males spend more time on the computer, but not
on-line than females. Males and females engage in different computer
activities. They play computer games about the same amount of time, but females
spend more time on the computer to do word processing and desk-top publishing
activities. Males play more games on-line, while females spend more time
on-line to communicate.
Evidence of Gender Disparity in Children's Computer Use and Activities
M.J. Land
Department of English, Speech, & Journalism
Georgia College & State University
Milledgeville, Georgia 31061
(912)445-5572
[log in to unmask]
Paper submitted to the
Mass Communication and Society Division of AEJMC
Gender and Computer Use,
Evidence of Gender Disparity in Children's Computer Use and Activities
Less than thirty years ago, computers were unfamiliar to children and to the
American home. Computers infiltrated the workplaces and schoolrooms of many
Americans in the seventies and eighties. Originally operated only by trained
specialists, computers were used as word processors, communication vehicles,
research engines, calculators, and teaching tools in these environments.
Computers have moved and continue to move from the workplaces and the
schoolrooms into the homes of many families. Most Americans now consider the
computer an essential medium for the home (Intel/Yankelovich, 1997). Research
on homes with computers shows that 44 to 48% of homes have computers and that
approximately 17% of homes have Internet access (Goldstein, 1998;
Intel/Yankelovic, 1997; Number of Homes, 1998). As the computer enters the
home, its relationship with other media in the home should be examined. In a
recent CNN poll, only 23% of teens said they could live without their computer,
while 28% said they could live without their television (Stone, 1998).
Males have dominated computer use since the introduction of the computer. Males
spend more time on the computer and they have more computer interest and ability
than females. Concerns about male domination of the computer and its future
consequences have been expressed. If males are more proficient with computers,
they may have an advantage over females that could last a lifetime. Differences
in computer use among male and female children are of particular concern.
Children's computer use in the home is important to their proficiency with
computers in other environments (Martinez, 1994). Children's home computer use
serves as one key to their success with computers in the academic environment
(Rocheleau,1995). The differences in male and female computer use are important
because children are the future home owners and media users. Their perceptions
and patterns of use set early may continue into adulthood.
Recent studies suggest that male domination of the computer may be slowing as
the computer is used for a wider variety of purposes (Kwak, 1998; Rocheleau,
1995). Changes in the types of use made of the computer may encourage more
females to purchase and use computers. Females are already signing on to
on-line activities with more frequency than before (GVU, 1998).
This study examines differences in male and female computer use in the home of
children ages 9-14. Of particular interest are the differences in male and
female type and amount of computer and on-line use. Other areas examined
include difficulties using the computer and perceptions of the computer.
Differences in other media use are also included in the study. Research
questions examined are 1) Are there differences in the amount of time male and
female children spend on the computer and on-line? 2) If so, can these
differences be accounted for by type of use? 3) Do females and males differ on
the difficulty they have using the computer? 4) Do females and males differ on
their perceptions of the computer as an entertaining and educational medium? 5)
Do males and females amount of other media use differ?
Literature Review
Early computer users were primarily male (Braun, Goupil, Giroux & Chagnon,
1986; Rogers, 1985; Temple & Lips, 1989). Studies of children found similar
results. Studies of children in the fourth through sixth grade found males
spent more time on the computer than females (Lin & Lepper, 1987). Much of the
difference in amount of computer use of the genders was accounted for by one
type of use, game playing. Studies of early on-line users found them to be male
also. White male teens, in particular were found to be heavy users of the
Internet (Kraut, Scherlis, Mukhopadhyay, Manning & Kiesler, 1996). Males
continue to dominate the computer in more recent studies (Dorman, 1998; Kwak,
1998).
There are signs that male domination of the computer in the home may be
changing. Rocheleau examined longitudinal data on children as they moved from
the seventh grade through high school (1995). This study found males were more
likely to be heavy computer users in the 1987-1991 data but the gap between the
amount of computer use in the sexes narrowed in the1992 data. Additional
evidence of the narrowing of the gender gap is found in the proportion of
females in the on-line surveys conducted by GVU. Female participation in the
surveys increased from five percent in 1994 to forty percent in 1997 (Kwak,
1998).
Method
Three methods were combined in two phases in order to study the research
questions proposed. Phase one includes long interviews and observations. Long
interviews and observations were used to reach some understanding of the
children's computer use and to aid in the design of a survey instrument. Phase
Two includes a survey of 390 children ages 9-14.
Phase One
In Phase One parents and children were interviewed and children were observed
using the computer in their homes. As explained by McCracken (1988), the long
interview serves to allow the investigator to glimpse the categories and logic
of the individual. Using long interviews with parents and with their children
and observing children in their use of the computer provided two types of
triangulation of the data as defined by Lincoln and Guba (1985). The first type
involves using different methods to provide triangulation of data. Use of
several methods allows the imperfection of one method to be canceled out by the
strengths of a second method. Combining interviews and observations to validate
information gathered provides this type of triangulation. A second type of
triangulation is accomplished by using different sources. In Phase One parents
and children are questioned about the child's computer use and media use in the
home to achieve triangulation.
Seven children, four males and three females, between the ages of eight and
eleven, from middle class homes, in the Central Georgia area, were recruited
from personal contacts, teacher recommendations, and contacts suggested by
research subjects. Parents of the children were approached through phone
contact to request permission for the child and parent to participate in the
study.
Three instruments were used in Phase One of the study: two questionnaire guides
for the long interviews, one for the child and one for the parent, and an
observation sheet. According to McCracken (1988), a questionnaire guide serves
various purposes in long interviews. The questionnaire guide is used in the
long interviews to ensure that all information is covered in the same order for
each respondent, to provide prompts necessary, to manufacture distance, to
establish direction for the interview, and to allow the interviewer to
concentrate on the subject's responses. Questionnaire guides covered the nature
of computer use in the home and other media use in the home. The observation
sheet was used to record information gathered while the researcher observed the
child's computer use.
After receiving consent from the parent for the child to participate in the
study, the researcher visited the home and observed the child using the
computer. Observation periods ranged from thirty minutes to an hour. After
observing the child use the computer, the researcher interviewed the child about
his computer use. These audio taped interviews lasted from fifteen to thirty
minutes. A second visit to the home was arranged to interview one of the
parents. These audio taped interviews lasted approximately one hour.
Each instrument was transcribed and reviewed several times by the researcher.
Lincoln and Guba's (1985) constant comparative analysis was then used to analyze
the data. Summaries were formed of each long interview and of the observations.
Themes about the information gathered were formed based on information from
categories found in the data.
Results of Long Interviews and Observations
One of the themes that formed from the long interviews and observations was the
male dominance of the computer in the home. This dominance was apparent in
children and their parents. Male dominance was observed in amount of computer
use, location of the computer in the home, interest in the computer, and
knowledge about the computer.
In almost every household, if a male sibling existed, even those households
where the male sibling was the younger sibling, the male was the primary user of
the computer. In one of the households, the male, the younger child, had a
computer in his bedroom, while his older sister used the father's computer in
the study. The father said the son was given the computer instead of the
daughter because the daughter was not as interested as the son was in using the
computer. Other parents feel their female child does not have the interest in
the computer that their male child has. The parents have trouble explaining why
they feel this was true.
In most of the households, the father is the primary individual in charge of the
computer. One of the mothers consistently said she knew little about what
programs and accessories they have for the computer, could not recall game
tittles purchased, and in general, was not enthusiastic about the children using
the computer. The father, in contrast, is the individual responsible for
purchasing the computer and additional software and for obtaining on-line access
for the home. These findings led to further examination of the differences in
male and female computer use.
Phase Two
In the second phase, a survey was designed from information gathered in Phase
One of the study. The survey was pre-tested on twenty-five children at a summer
camp. Children and teachers at the camp suggested changes in the survey
instrument and the survey procedures.
The survey was a self-administered instrument. Survey sections included amount
of children's computer use, child variables, family factors, social factors, and
other media measures. Three primary forms of questions were used in this
survey. One form, the days per week measure, measured the number of days per
week activities were done. A second form of questions, the time per day measure,
asked how much time per day, on days the activity was done, was spent on the
activity being examined. This measure provided no categories but included
blanks for the child to fill in the hours and minutes per day spent on the
activity. A third form of question used a five-response likert scale, ranging
from strongly disagree to strongly agree.
Children's computer use was examined by two measures. One measure asked the
number of days per week, in the average week, the child used the computer at
home. A second measure examined the amount of time the child spends using the
computer each day he uses the computer. Types of computer use were measured by
question type one above which asks how many days per week the child spends on
each activity. Types of use measured included use to complete tasks, for
entertainment, for education, and for information.
Amount of on-line use was measured using the same measures described above.
Categories of on-line use measured included on-line use for communication, for
entertainment, for education, for information, and to complete tasks.
The Sample.
Children surveyed were from two counties in two states, North Florida and
Central Georgia. Ten schools were selected from the two areas. In total, there
were 2,429 students in the fifth through eighth grades at the schools selected.
Of these students, 949 or 39% reported that they had computers. Of those with
computers, 396 or 41.7% returned permission slips from parents allowing the
child to complete the survey. Of the 949, 390 or 41% completed the survey.
Children who completed the survey range from ages nine through fourteen (see
Table 1 ). Slightly more than half (52.9%) of the children are female. The
majority of the sample is white (83%). Most of the children live with both
parents and have siblings.
Results
Of the 390 children 291 or 75% have one computer in their home (see Table 2).
Of the 180 males, 71% have only one computer; of the females, 78% have only one
computer. Ninety-eight or 25.1% of all children reported having more than one
computer; 29% of males had more than one computer and 22% of females.
Almost half of the children (48.2%) have on-line access from their home.
Fifty-two percent of the males and 42% of the females have on-line access from
their homes. Over one-third of the children (37.1%) have their own computer.
Forty-one percent of the males have their own computer; 34% of the females have
their own computer.
Chi-square and analysis of variance tests were run on the appropriate variables
with the male and female groups (see Tables 3 & 4). Chi-square tests on the
variables have own computer, have more than one computer, and have on-line
access found on-line access had statistically significant differences between
males and females. More males had on-line access than females. Analysis of
variance on the two groups and variables, how long had computer and how long had
on-line access, found no statistically significant differences in males and
females.
Amount of Computer Use
Children reported they use the computer on an average of 3.5 days per week (see
Table 5). Males use the computer on average of 3.8 days per week. Females use
the computer on an average of 3.3 days per week. On the days children use the
computer, they use it an average of 94 minutes (see Table 5). Males use the
computer an average of 104 minutes on days they use it; females use the computer
an average of 86 minutes on days they use it.
A computer use scale was developed from the two measures above. Children's
report of days of use per week was multiplied by amount of time of use per day
to form the computer use scale. The mean on this scale was 377 which represents
377 minutes of computer use per week. The mean for males on this scale was 440
minutes of computer use per week; the mean for females on the scale was 325
minutes of computer use per week (see Table 5).
Differences in the amount of computer use of males and females was examined
using analysis of variance (see Table 5). Each of the three measures of
computer use were examined. Differences in male and female computer use were
statistically significant for each of the three measures. Males use the
computer more days, more time per day, and more time per week than the females
in the study.
Children's on-line computer use was also examined by the days per week measure
and amount of time per day on-line measure. Children who had on-line access
reported they go on-line from home on an average of 2.3 days per week (see Table
6). Males report they go on-line from home on an average of 2.4 days per week;
females go on-line on an average of 2.3 days per week.
Children reported going on-line an average of 70 minutes per day of use (see
Table 6). Males go on-line an average of 73 minutes per day of on-line use;
females go on-line an average of 67 minutes per day of on-line use.
An on-line use scale, similar to the computer use scale, was developed. Days of
on-line use per week was multiplied by amount of time of on-line use per day to
form the on-line use scale. The mean on this scale was 224, which represents
224 minutes of on-line use per week. The mean for males on this scale was 235
minutes, while the mean for females was 219 minutes.
Differences in the amount of on-line use of males and females were examined
using analysis of variance (see Table 6). Each of the three measures of on-line
use was examined. Differences in male and female on-line use are not
statistically significant for any of the three measures.
Comparison of Types of Computer and On-line Use
Children's type of computer use and on-line use were examined. A comparison of
males and females and the differences in the types of activities they engaged in
on the computer was made.
Children were asked how many days per week they spend on the computer on seven
activities in four categories: tasks, entertainment, education, and information.
Two of the activities are in the task category: word processing and desk-top
publishing. Two are in the entertainment category: play computer games and
entertainment. Two are in the education category: to help with schoolwork and
to use educational software. One is in the information category: to use
electronic reference materials.
Children reported spending the most time on the entertainment category (see
Table 7). They spend an average of 3.8 days per week on computer games and 2.8
days per week on entertainment. (Note that these measures are not mutually
exclusive.) Males spend an average of 3.7 days on computer games and 2.8 on
entertainment. Females spend an average of 3.8 on computer games and 2.8 on
entertainment.
Differences in males and females for each of the types of use were examined
using analysis of variance (see Table 7). Statistically significant differences
were found for two types of use measured, word processing and desk-top
publishing. Females use the computer more days than males for word processing
and desk-top publishing. No statistically significant differences were found
for other types of computer use measured.
Children's on-line activity measures include seven activities grouped into four
categories. Two of the activities are communication related: e-mail and
communication. Two of the measures are entertainment related: entertainment and
play games. One is education related: to do research for education. One is
information related: to get information; and one is task related: to purchase
items.
Children reported spending the most time on-line on the entertainment category
(see Table 8). They spend an average of 2.8 days per week on game play and 2.5
days per week on entertainment. Males reported they spend an average of 3.2
days per week on game play and 2.6 days per week on entertainment. Females
spend an average of 2.3 days per week on game play and 2.4 days per week on
entertainment.
Differences in males and females for each of the types of on-line use were
examined using analysis of variance (see Table 8). Statistically significant
differences were found for two types of use measured, e-mail and game play.
Females go on-line more days than males to e-mail. Males go on-line more days
to play games than females. No statistically significant differences were found
for other types of on-line use measured.
Comparison of Social Aspects, Experiences, and Perceptions
Several other areas were examined concerning computer use. These areas
include the computer as a social or solitary activity, difficulty using the
computer, and the child's perception of the computer.
The social or solitary use of the computer looked at whether the child uses the
computer alone or with others (see Table 9). Children reported spending most of
their time on the computer alone. They said they spend an average of 3.7 days
per week by themselves on the computer. Males said they spend an average of 3.6
days per week by themselves on the computer; females said they spend an average
of 3.7 days per week by themselves on the computer. Children use the computer
an average of 1.7 days per week with a sibling or friend and an average of 1.4
days per week with a parent. Males use the computer an average of 1.5 days per
week with a sibling or friend; females use the computer an average of two days
per week with a sibling or friend. Males use the computer 1.4 days per week
with a parent and so do females. Almost one-third (32.8%) of the children said
they never use the computer with a parent; 17.9% said they never use the
computer with a sibling or friend. Thirty percent of males never use the
computer with a parent compared to thirty-five percent of the females who say
they never use the computer with a parent.
Differences in social and solitary use of the computer were examined for males
and females. A statistically significant difference was found for computer use
with friends/siblings. Females use the computer more with friends or siblings
than males do.
Peer use and talk about use of the computer was also examined (see Table 10).
Males said their siblings use the computer 3.4 days per week, while females said
their siblings use the computer 3.5 days per week. The majority of males and
females said their friends use a computer and talk about computer use. Analysis
of variance found no statistically significant differences between males and
females on peer or sibling use of the computer.
Fifteen percent of males agree that they have difficulty using computer
equipment compared to 24 percent of females. Twenty-three percent of males say
they have difficulty running the software; twenty-two percent of females agree
they have difficulty running computer software. Analysis of variance of males
and females found a statistically significant difference between males and
females on the amount of difficulty using the computer equipment. Males have
less difficulty than females using the computer (see Table 11).
Seventy-three percent of males say the computer is educational and seventy-four
percent of females agree. Eighty percent of males say the computer is
entertaining and 77 percent of females agree. Analysis of variance shows no
statistically significant difference on these variables between males and
females.
Other Media Use.
Other media use examined includes television, radio, newspaper, magazine, book,
and movie theater use. Amount of use of each medium was measured by asking
children how much time they spend on the average day using each medium. Movie
theater use was measured by asking how many times per month the child attended
the movie theater.
Children responded they spend an average of 214 minutes per day watching
television, 113 minutes per day listening to the radio, 12 minutes per day
reading a newspaper, 28 minutes per day reading a magazine, 60 minutes per day
reading a book, and attend the movie theater an average of 14 times per year
(see Table 12).
Males said they spend an average of 205 minutes per day watching television, 81
minutes per day listening to the radio, 13 minutes per day reading a newspaper,
25 minutes per day reading a magazine, 53 minutes per day reading a book and
attend the movies 13 times per year.
Females spend more time with the media. They spend an average of 217 minutes
per day watching television, 142 minutes per day listening to the radio, 12
minutes per day reading a newspaper, 32 minutes per day reading a magazine, 65
minutes per day reading a book and attend the movie theater 15 times per year.
Although females say they spend more time watching television than males, more
males (77%) say they have their own television than females (71%). Analysis of
variance found statistically significant differences between males and females
in amount of time spent listening to the radio, with audio/visual media, and
with all types of media.
Discussion
This study examines male and female computer use in children ages 9-14. The
long interviews and observations of children using the computer suggests
differences in male and female computer use and perceptions of the computer.
Surveys of children examine the differences in male and female computer use and
their amount of computer use, types of use, perceptions of computer use, and
amount of other media use.
The study found that male and female children differ in their amount of home
computer use. Males use the computer more days per week than females and spend
more time on the computer each day they use the computer. This finding is
consistent with previous studies on computer use (Lin & Lepper, 1987).
No such differences were found between males and females in this study when
on-line use was examined. Male and female children go on-line about the same
number of days per week and spend about the same amount of time on-line.
Previous studies on male and female computer use suggest that female use of
on-line access is approaching that of males (Kwak, 1998; GVU, 1998).
When types of computer use are examined, females spend more time on desk-top
publishing activities and word processing activities than males. Females use
the computer to do desk-top publishing activities about once or twice a week,
while males engage in desk-top activities less than once per week. Females use
the computer for word processing closer to two days a week, while males engage
in word processing only one day a week. This finding suggests that females do
use the computer for different activities than males, and suggests some of the
computer activities which females are more likely to engage than males.
Males and females also differ in the types of activities they do on-line.
Males spend more time on-line on game play than females. Males say they go
on-line to play games three days a week, compared to females who say they go
on-line to play games two days a week. Females spend more time on-line to send
and receive e-mail than males. Females go on-line to send or receive e-mail two
days a week, while males use e-mail closer to one day a week.
This finding suggests that males and females may be going on-line about the same
number of days per week, but they are doing different activities while on-line.
Females spend more days on-line on e-mail, a communication activity, while males
spend more time on-line to play games, an entertainment activity.
Other differences in male and female computer use were examined in an attempt
to explain the differences in amount of use. This study found children's
computer use is a solitary activity. Most of the time children spend on the
computer they spend alone. They seldom use the computer with parents,
siblings, or friends. Females, however, do spend more time with friends on the
computer than do males. This suggests that females may see the computer as more
of a social tool than males.
Although males and females spend most of their time on the computer alone, they
say that their friends and siblings do use the computer and talk about their
computer use. Therefore the activity itself may not be a social activity, but
the activity is a topic of social conversation. Computer use at school is about
equal for males and females. Both report they use the computer less than two
days per week at school.
One area which may explain why females spend less time on the computer than
males is that females have more difficulty using the computer than males.
Females do not have more difficulty operating the software, but they do have
more difficulty operating the hardware. This suggests that females are not as
comfortable as males are with the operation of the computer itself.
Other Media Use
Differences between male and female other media use were also examined.
Females, in general spend more time with the media than males. They spend more
time listening to the radio than males do, more time with audio/visual media,
and more time with all media combined.
Conclusions
Males in this study continue to dominate traditional computer use, but not
on-line use. Males ages 9-14 use the computer more than female counterparts
until on-line use is examined. Then females and males spend an equal time
on-line. This study suggests that type of use may play an important role in
explaining why males use the computer more than females and why the difference
in amount of computer use disappears as on-line access increases. The study
does not explain the type of use that accounts for the additional time males
spend on the computer. Females report spending more days on word processing and
desk-top publishing than males. Males and females use the computer an equal
number of days to play games and for entertainment. They also spend about the
same amount of time on schoolwork, educational software, and information
activities. Type of computer activity has been used to explain the difference
in the amount of time on the computer by males and females. Previous studies
have suggested that males use the computer more for game play than females and
that the difference in the amount of computer use by males and females is in the
amount of time spent on game play (Lin & Lepper, 1987). This study finds that
that explanation may have been true at one time but is no longer true. Females,
in this study, say they also use the computer for game play as much as males do
and that they spend more time than males on some other computer activities
measured.
The solitary use of the computer and the social use of on-line access may
explain some differences in male and female children's computer use in the home.
Most time on the computer is spent alone. Females make more social use of the
computer by spending more time on the computer with friends than males do. This
suggests females may not spend as much time on the computer because computer use
is primarily a solitary activity. This may also explain why the difference in
male and female use of the computer disappears as on-line access increases.
Females spend more time on-line with communication or social activities. They
do not spend more time on the computer because, unless the computer is connected
to others outside the home, the computer does not usually function as a social
tool.
Females also spend more time with the established media in the home,
specifically the radio, and audio/visual media. This leads us to question if
the computer continues to enter the home and its role in the home stabilizes,
will females also use the computer more than males.
The strengths of this study are the multi-method used and the large number of
children identified with computers. One weakness is the sample, which was based
on a limited number of schools and a nonrandom sample and therefore may threaten
the generalizability of the study.
Future study should attempt to identify types of computer use which males speed
more time on than females. Computer use as a part of all communication
technologies in the home needs to be examined. Interrelationships among media
use in the home will help provide a better understanding of computer and on-line
use in the home and help predict change in other media use in the home.
References
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Table 1 - Children's Demographics
Demographic
n
%
Age
9
22
5.7
10
97
25.0
11
111
28.6
12
80
20.6
13
64
16.5
14
14
3.6
Base
()
()
Gender
Male
181
47.1
Female
203
52.9
Base
(384)
(100)
Race
White
318
83.0
African American
45
11.7
Other
20
5.3
Base
()
()
Whom Child Lives With
Both parents
274
71.4
Mother
83
21.6
Father
13
3.4
Grandparent
4
1.0
Other
10
2.6
Base
()
()
# of People Under 18 in Hh
One
76
20.1
Two
187
49.5
Three
82
21.7
Four
23
6.1
Five or more
10
2.6
Base
(390)
(100)
Table 2 - Computer Ownership
Child's Report of Computers in the Home
Total(%)
Males
Females
# of Computers in Home
One
291 (75%)
127 (70%)
159 (78%)
Two
70 (18%)
43 (24%)
26 (13%)
Three
20 (5%)
7 (4%)
13 (6%)
Four
6 (1%)
2 (1%)
4 (2%)
Five or more
2 (.5%)
1 (.6%)
1 (.5%)
Base
(100%)
180(100%)
203(100%)
How Long Had Computer
6 months or less
38 (10%)
20 (11%)
18 (9%)
7 months through 2 years
152 (39%)
73 (40%)
75 (37%)
More than 2 years through 5 years
158 (40%)
67 (37%)
90 (44%)
More than 5 years
41 (11%)
21 (12%)
19 (9%)
Base
(100%)
181(%)
202(100%)
Have On-line Access
Yes
184 (48%)
95 (54%)
85(42%)
No
198 (52%)
81 (46%)
116(58%)
Base
(100%)
176(100%)
201(100%)
How Long Had On-line Access
6 months or less
72 (39%)
32 (34%)
39 (44%)
7 months through 2 years
97 (49%)
48 (50%)
41 (47%)
More than 2 years through 5 years
20 (11%)
12 (13%)
8 (9%)
More than 5 years
3 (2%)
3 (3%)
0 (0%)
Base
(100%)
95(%)
88(100%)
Computer Ownership
Child has own computer
145(37%)
74 (41%)
68 (34%)
Does not have own computer
245(63%)
107 (59%)
135 (67%)
Base
(100%)
181(100%)
203(100%)
Table 3 - Chi-square of Gender and Computer Variables
Mean(N)
Total Males Females
sig*
# of computers in home
1.4 (383)
1.4 (180)
1.3 (203)
ns
Have own computer (1=no;2=yes)
1.4 (384)
1.4 (181)
1.3 (203)
ns
Have on-line access (1=no;2=yes)
1.5 (377)
1.5 (176)
1.4 (201)
.02
*Pearson Chi-Square
Table 4 - ANOVA of Gender and Computer Variables
Mean
Total Males Females
df
F
sig
How long had a computer
34 min.
36 min.
33 min.
1
.9
ns
How long had on-line access
14 min.
15 min.
11 min.
1
3.5
Ns
Table 5 - ANOVA of Gender and Amount of Computer Use
Mean(N)
Total Males Females
df
F
sig
Days per week on comp.
3.5 days (381)
3.8 days (179)
3.3 days
(202)
1
5
.03
Time per day on comp.
1 hr.35 min. (377)
1 hr.44 min. (175)
1 hr.26 min. (202)
1
4
.04
Amount of comp. use
per week
6 hr.19 min. (377)
7 hr.20 min. (176)
5 hr.25 min. (201)
1
5
.03
Days x Amount = Use per week
Table 6 - ANOVA of Gender and Amount of On-line Computer Use
Mean(N)
Total Males Females
df
F
sig
Days per week on-line
2.4 days
(192)
2.4 days
(101)
2.4 days
(91)
1
.0
ns
Time per day on-line
1 hr.10 min. (169)
1 hr. 13 min. (90)
1 hr.7 min.
(79)
1
.3
ns
Amount of on-line use
per week
3 hr. 47min. (185)
3 hr.55 min. (97)
3 hr.39 min. (88)
1
.1
ns
Days x Amount = Use per week
Table 7 - Child's Types of Computer Use
Category
Activity
Days per Week
Total Males Females
df
F
sig
Education
Schoolwork
1.7
1.5
1.8
1
2.3
ns
Educational software
1.3
1.2
1.5
1
2.8
ns
Entertainment
Play computer games
3.8
3.8
3.8
1
.01
ns
For entertainment
2.8
2.8
2.8
1
.01
ns
Information
Reference materials
1.7
1.7
1.7
1
.01
ns
Tasks
Word processing
1.4
1.1
1.6
1
7.3
.01
Desk-top publishing
1.1
.9
1.3
1
9.7
.00
Table 8 - Child's Types of On-line Use
Category
Activity
Days per Week
Total Males Females
df
F
Sig
Communication
E-mail
1.8
1.4
2.2
1
5.1
.025
Communication
1.9
1.8
2.0
1
.6
ns
Education
School research
1.6
1.5
1.7
1
.2
ns
Entertainment
To play games
2.8
3.2
2.3
1
6.2
.01
Entertainment
2.5
2.6
2.4
1
.4
ns
Information
Get information
1.9
2.1
1.6
1
2.7
ns
Tasks
Purchase items
.7
.8
.5
1
1
ns
Table 9 - Social and Solitary Computer Use
Mean(N)
Total Males Females
df
F
Sig.
Use comp by self
3.7 (381)
3.7 (180)
3.7 (201)
1
.00
ns
Use comp w/sibling/friend
1.8 (374)
1.5 (178)
2.0 (196)
1
5.4
.02
Use comp w/parent
1.4 (380)
1.4 (180)
1.4 (200)
1
.1
ns
Table 10 - Peer Use of Computer
Mean(N)
Total Males Females
df
F
sig.
Friends use comp.
2.2 (380)
2.1 (179)
2.3 (201)
1
1.2
ns
Siblings use comp.
3.4 (379)
3.4 (178)
3.5 (201)
1
.1
ns
Friends talk about comp.
2.7 (377)
2.6 (176)
2.8 (201)
1
2.2
ns
Table 11 - Other Variables
Mean(N)
Total Males Females
df
F
sig.
Difficulty using equipment
3.6 (379)
3.8 (178)
3.4 (201)
1
7.8
.01
Difficulty running software
3.5 (377)
3.6 (181)
3.4 (196)
1
2.2
ns
Computer too slow
3.6 (375)
3.6 (177)
3.5 (198)
1
.6
ns
Educational
1.9 (380)
1.9 (180)
1.9 (200)
1
.1
ns
Entertaining
1.9 (376)
1.8 (175)
1.9 (201)
1
2.2
ns
Use comp. at school
1.6 (381)
1.8 (180)
1.5 (201)
1
2.6
ns
Table 12 - ANOVA of Gender and time spent with types of media
Mean(N)
Total Males Females
df
F
Sig.
TV
211 (365)
204 (175)
217 (190)
1
.3
ns
Radio
112 (373)
81 (177)
142 (196)
1
14
.00
Newspaper
13 (366)
13 (173)
12 (193)
1
.0
ns
Magazines
29 (372)
25 (176)
32 (196)
1
2.7
ns
Book
59 (375)
53 (176)
65 (199)
1
2.4
ns
Movie theater
14* (344)
13 (160)
14 (184)
1
.6
ns
A/V combined
341 (328)
307 (157)
374 (171)
1
3.9
.05
Print combined
100 (363)
92 (171)
108 (192)
1
2.1
ns
All media
447 (318)
406 (153)
489 (165)
1
4.3
.04
Mean = minutes per week; * # of movies attended per year
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