This research examined gender differences in Internet use and factors respo
nsible for these differences. A sample of 630 Anglo American undergraduates
completed the Student Computer and Internet Survey that contained question
s about e-mail and Web use, and about potential affective and cognitive med
iators of use. Based on a general model of Internet use, we predicted and f
ound that females used e-mail more than did males, males used the Web more
than did females, and females reported more computer anxiety, less computer
self-efficacy, and less favorable and less stereotypic computer attitudes.
Path analysis to identify mediators of gender differences in Internet use
revealed that computer self-efficacy, loneliness, and depression accounted
in part for gender differences, but that gender continued to have a direct
effect on use after these factors were considered. Implications for realizi
ng the democratizing potential and benefits of Internet use are discussed.