From Dr. Mom To Sys Op Mom

Forget sibling rivalry. It's moms against kids and everyone else in the house when it comes to time spent surfing the Internet. And guess what? Moms are winning.

Moms who surf spend an average of 17 hours a week online, compared with 12 hours for teens, according to research conducted for America Online by Digital Marketing Services Inc. E-mail and instant messaging are the top online activities for both mothers and teens, but the two groups differ in what they do online. When teens go online, they're after recreation and chats, says Lisa Gibby, who works with America Online's women's channel. "For moms, it's about crossing to-dos off their list."

Of the 8,000 moms surveyed, 83% do research on products and services; about 80% search for discounts or coupons. Prime surfing time for 55% of working and stay-at-home moms are between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.