Page 207 - Culture Technology Communication

190 Deborah Wheeler

When factors of age, education, and socioeconomic status are con-
trolled for, women are just as likely, if not more, than men to use the
Internet as a form of communication and entertainment. For example,
in 1996, a survey of Kuwait University students found that roughly
11
55% of women surveyed considered the Internet a hobby. This num-
ber contrasts significantly with regional data that in 1998 suggested
12
that only 4% of all Middle Eastern women use the Internet. Based
upon survey data from Kuwait, it appears that age, literacy, level of
education, and other socioeconomic factors may be more important
than gender in determining who has access to the Web.
Internet access is growing in Kuwait, as the following chart
suggests:

Internet Hosts in Kuwait

7/93 Hosts 237
7/94 Hosts 297

7/96 Hosts 1,963
7/97 Hosts 3,555
7/98 Hosts 5,597
1/99 Hosts 6,063 13

A hosts count is less than a user count since often a host supports
multiple users, like those host computers located at universities, pri-
vate schools, businesses, embassies, even those in peoples’ homes.
Keeping the host number relatively low, compared with the United
States, for example (over 1,000,000) is the fact that Gulfnet,
Kuwait’s only Internet Service Provider, charges approximately
$150 a month for basic Internet service. Because of the high cost of
service, most Kuwaitis, except for the very wealthy, do not have ac-
cess from their homes. A large number of Internet users in Kuwait,
however, access the Net from work, school, or one of the many Inter-
net cafes in Kuwait. Exceptions include members of the Kuwaiti En-
gineering Society who can obtain an Internet account for around $30
a month through an agreement with Gulfnet. Moreover, every pro-
fessor at Kuwait University is offered a “Slip” account free of charge,
which enables dial-up access from home.
General consensus is that 95% of all Internet use in Kuwait is
for “chatting.” IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is the most common text