On the Internet, people want to know whether you're male or female. Gender has not vaporized in cyberspace, and problems related to gender roles and conflicts have, in some ways, been exacerbated as we migrated to the online environment in large numbers. Unlike skin color, age, or other visual features that trigger stereotypes, gender is often apparent on the Internet because of the person's signature, nickname, or use of pronouns. It is true that you could take measures to conceal gender as you participate in discussion forums or create a Web site, but the effort becomes awkward after a while and many people are rather uncomfortable dealing with someone whose gender is unknown. They can be unnerved if they think you are deliberately veiling or lying about your gender.

I have touched on some gender issues in previous chapters as they related to impression formation, aggression, helping, and other aspects of the psychology of the Internet. To understand why gender is relevant to our online behavior, and why this environment appears to magnify certain conflicts, we first need to look closely at the stereotypes people often hold about men and women, particularly where they come from and how they affect our behavior in real life.

MALE AND FEMALE: NOT OPPOSITE SEXES

Calling men and women “opposite” sexes has probably biased our thinking about gender roles.