>Finally, you mention women overusing exclamation points. Maybe they are just being women?
I did mention it, but I did not come up with this on my own. You can read the study I linked to. Calling it "women being women" sounds a bit like the old "boys will be boys" attitude, as if your gender defines your actions or is an excuse.
Instead I'd rather look at why a large group of people feel like they need to express themselves as upbeat and happy. If you read the study I linked to, it talks about this with explanation. I invite you to read some more.