Women, who make up nearly 50 percent of the online population and are most often the core of the family unit, play an especially critical role in making the Internet a central point for families, the survey found. Chief among these are saving precious time, assisting in their role as family gatekeeper, and being able to quickly source the answers they need to care for their families. Ninety-two percent say the Internet is an important source of leisure time and entertainment, demonstrating that women are turning to the Web for fun, as well as function.
Kids have a strong influence over their parents' online habits and purchases.
More than 50 percent of respondents said their child has influenced them to purchase a product from a Web site and 42 percent have been influenced by their child to click on an online ad. The Internet has become the predominant form of mass media for Web-savvy men and women. The study, conducted over the past three months, involved an online sample of 2,010 respondents, who were screened and weighted to be representative of online visitors. Copyright 2001 INT Media Group, Incorporated All Rights Reserved.