Barbara Kantrowitz's essay "Men, Women, and Computers" addresses the gender gap in cyberspace. This essay goes beyond the obvious statement that men and women are different and, therefore, interact with computers differently. According to Kantrowitz, men want to know the innermost workings of their computers in order to exert power over technology. Women, on the other hand, are only interested in how the computer can simplify their lives. Women are not overly concerned with how it works, just so long as it works.
Kantrowitz points out, while women have made enormous strides in traditionally male-dominated fields "such as law and medicine, women are turning away from the computer industry" (178). When women work in the computer field, they are made to feel like they really do not belong, like they are treading on sacred manly ground. Many girls associate computers with a world devoid of emotion, and they are not comfortable with that world. Boys are introduced early to video games, which serve as a "gateway to technology" (178). The violent nature of most video games does not appeal to girls, so they reject the most likely avenue of computer literacy. Companies like Sega have noticed the gap and have started designing games that appeal to young girls. The goal is to "hook girls at the age of 4, before they've developed fears of technology" (179). I have seen this goal attained by my friend's 3 year old daughter, who is just as computer savvy as most adults I know.
This essay strikes a familiar chord with me because I can identify with the idea of just wanting things to work. Whether it is a computer, a car, or anything mechanical, I really do not want to know how things work, I just want to know what general maintenance is required to keep them working properly. At the same time, if I need to learn a computer program, I would prefer trial and error over a male tutor with a smug, superior attitude. Another point that jangled my nerves was the statement about girls being discouraged from taking science and math by schools and parents. I have never been a confident math student, but I have to wonder if it is because my abilities truly do not lie in that area, or if it is from years of hearing my mother say, "Oh, none of us are any good at math." Perhaps it is too late for me to recognize and tap into a repressed desire to be a computer programmer or statistician, but young girls today need encouragement. As long as there is some culturally imposed dividing line between male interests and female interests, girls will do what is expected from or imposed upon them. I know that girls are just as smart as boys in every subject, but it is time that girls knew it, too.
Kantrowitz, Barbara. "Men, Women, and Computers." CyberReader. 2nd ed. Ed. Victor J. Vitanza. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999. 176-183.
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