Aussie women give cyber romance cold shoulder

SYDNEY (ZDNet Australia) -The Asia Pacific Cyber Lifestyle's survey, conducted by Intel, revealed that out of 8,000 respondents from 10 countries, Australian women are the most unromantic of all cyber buffs, preferring to use the Internet for basic survival skills such as shopping for groceries.

In contrast, Korean women (33 per cent) are the most open-minded across all countries to the idea of marrying someone they've met in the cyberworld. It is particularly appealing to young adults to those in their mid thirties, and males as well.

Australian men appeared more open to cyber romance, with 11 per cent saying they would like to meet a partner online, and 15 per cent saying they would consider it.

The survey also revealed that 20 per cent of Australian men would prefer to take a peak in Kylie Minogue's fridge, rather than find their soul mate on the Internet.

"The survey results show that people in Australia are integrating the Internet into their daily social lives and are willing to be even more adventurous with how they use it," Intel marketing programs manager, Phil Dows said.

Other findings of the survey revealed that 39 per cent of Australians were confident of their ability to survive at home for a month armed with a computer and Internet connection. This compared to only 23 per cent of the rest of Asia.

Fifty three per cent of respondents in Australia would vote online. The regional average was 58 per cent.

A large majority of Australians, 93 per cent, believed that children benefit from using the Internet for online education and homework.