When it comes to social networking, women outshine men, according to a study released today from comScore Inc.

Women spend more time on social networking sites than men– averaging 5.5 hours per month compared to 3.9 hours for men, said the Reston, Va.-based Internet research firm.

Likewise, 76 percent all women online visit a social networking site compared to 70 percent of all men online. The study, conducted in May, investigates how women are shaping the Internet.

“Understanding gender-specific differences in Web usage is valuable to any digital stakeholder looking to successfully reach and engage both women and men in the online environment,” said Linda Boland Abraham, comScore’s chief marketing officer.

While men make up the majority of Internet users worldwide, women spend 8 percent more time online, averaging 25 hours a month on the Web.

They are shopping and visiting health sites more frequently than men, spending 20 percent more time on the former and 6 percent more on the latter.