Benefits of being anonymous while shopping on the internet

The benefits of being anonymous while shopping on the internet have been revealed in research into lesbians and gay men's use of the internet.

In a study on people using the internet to find information on gay friendly hotels it was found that the internet was seen as a safer way of accessing information. Due to the anonymity it affords, the internet enables lesbians and gay men (and those exploring their sexualities) to obtain information on a wide variety of lesbian and gay issues without exposing themselves to social or psychological risk (which might occur if information-seeking required them to disclose their sexual identity explicitly or implicitly).

These are the findings of a study conducted by Dr Adrian Coyle and Yaniv Poria of the University of Surrey, presented on Tuesday 18 July 1999, at The British Psychological Society's Lesbian and Gay Psychology Section Conference, held at the University of Surrey.

Seventy-eight people were interviewed about their use of the internet in both England and Israel. The implications of the research findings resonate well beyond the travel industry and may be of interest to businesses which aim to attract customers for 'lesbian and gay' services.