Gender Differences
2
Abstract
This study examines gender differences in the stylistic and substantive composition of personal
home pages authored by high-school age teens (14-18). A content analysis was conducted on a sample of
adolescents’ home pages (N=241). The results indicate that although boys’ home pages are more
abundant, girls provide more descriptive and expressive information on their home pages, and include
more references to intimate topics and relationships with family and romantic partners. The study
concludes that personal home pages do not appear to have generated a new type of gender-neutral
communication among adolescent authors, but rather, they seem merely to provide a new outlet for
traditional, gendered communication.