Women on Call

Gender stereotypes and differences have crept into the virtual world of smartphones and mobile apps too.

Gender stereotypes and differences have crept into the virtual world of smartphones and mobile apps too. According to a recent Nielsen survey on the behaviour of smartphone users in India, women talk and chat more than men. While both men and women spend roughly the same time, about 81 hours a month, on their smartphones, women spend three hours more than men making phone calls. They also spend about four times the amount of time that men spend on texting and instant messaging services using WhatsApp, Google Talk and Nimbuzz.

While the survey has noted that users in India spend about 40 per cent of their smartphone time on data-centric activities, men spend about 50 per cent more time web browsing as compared to women, who stick to social networking sites. Women also lag men in downloading apps—only 11 apps compared to about 16 apps downloaded per month by men. However, another gender stereotype is reiterated by the survey, which found that men access Google Maps more than women do—men hate pulling aside and asking for directions.

About The Author

Aanchal Bansal