A Year Ago: Online shopping impacts men

Men, it seems, are more comfortable with new technology and are more likely than women to be e-shoppers

The Internet is turning Britain's men into a far worse bunch of shopaholics than its women, according to a new report commissioned by Barclays Bank.

Defying common stereotypes, the report states that 34 percent of men that use the Internet are happy to spend their cash online, compared to just 19 percent of wired women.

According to Peter Duffy, director of online banking at Barclays, this is all down to the level of trust in technology. "Although confidence about using the Internet to bank is generally high, there is still a marked difference between the sexes," he says in a prepared statement.

The survey questioned 1,000 men and women over the age of 15 with access to the Internet, and was carried out by research firm NOP Solutions. The study also showed that 21 percent on men on the Internet use online banking, compared to just 13 percent of women.

However, Duffy also believes that women are beginning to buck up the courage to use the new-fangled global network. "Our experience suggests that people's interest and confidence in the Internet -- particularly women's -- is growing all the time," he adds.

See also: the e-commerce special.

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