Girls` nights out benefit telecoms industry as much as pubs

Women's busy social lives may be doing even more for the profits of the telecoms industry than they are for the pubs where the women meet, according a new survey.

It can take at least 10 times as many phone calls, emails and text messages to organise a girls' night as it does for a group of lads to get together, claims research carried out for Archers, the Guinness UDV peach schnapps brand.

The survey looked at the differences in approach between men and women aged 18 to 35, the target customers of many city centre pubs.

Young women seem to enjoy planning their social lives so much that it can take eight hours to organise a night out that may only last half as long, said psychologist Dr Belinda Board, who conducted the research. It needs up to five phone calls, four emails, and four text messages to each member of the group to get the details right. That adds up to 11 working days a year spent organising evenings out.

Men, on the other hand, are increasingly avoiding phone calls altogether and will organise a meeting with a simple text message or email along the lines of "Rose & Crown - 8 pm".

Dr Board said: "Women will spend hours debating when and where they want to go, who'll be there and, most importantly, what they'll be wearing. Men only want to name the time and place."

She added that part of the reason for the difference is that women spend more time nurturing friendships and also enjoy the preparation - described as "beforeplay" by Dr Board - far more than men.

"Women take great pleasure in 'beforeplay' activities - similar to their attitude to sex," she said.