When asked to think of the kind of human that likes to play videogames, tinker with a PC, code up websites and similar paraphernalia, you tend to think of a skinny and pale male with glasses and some personal hygiene issues (although the latter is somewhat less common to be fair).
This is really no longer the case. Revenge of the Nerds was an 80s game and the new rules for the 2000s involve girls. No longer focusing exclusively on mini skirts and make-up, the ladies have been quietly infiltrating this so-called man’s world for quite some time.
They don’t slip into the geeky mold either. Not necessarily sporting bad outfits, spotty skin and bedraggled hair or large teeth, they are often groomed and delicious but with fantastically technical brains and a love of all things that go whirr.
A recent article in the New York Times talks of how the young internet users are no longer the boys. They are actually more likely to be teenage girls. These young ladies are writing blogs, creating graphics, learning to code and can put together their PCs with their hands tied behind their backs.
“A study published in December [2007] by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that among web users ages 12-17, significantly more girls than boys blog (35 percent of girls compared with 20 percent of boys) and create or work on their own web pages (32 percent of girls compared with 22 percent of boys).”
The pics of some of these teenage internet queens show only poised and attractive women who clearly have brains and beauty. It’s a wonderful change from the perspectives of old. Perhaps even enough to start putting a positive spin on those who love technology for technology’s sake.
Not only are teenage girls flourishing in the world of technology, but women are taking the reins across the globe. There are very few women who leap back and squeak when their computer makes a funny noise or their mobile phone shuts down.
It is time, though, for women to be treated like they have a measure of techno-intelligence. There is nothing quite as frustrating as calling up a help desk and being spoken to as if we are still trying to figure out how to create the wheel.
“Unfortunately the issue I had with my mobile phone was something that had to be dealt with by the service provider,” said Angela, a gaming geek who terrifies me with her know-how, “It was extremely annoying when every man that answered the phone felt it was important to explain to me where the off button was.”
Sites like Girl Geeks and Women in Technology, are all about supporting women in the IT sector. Considering the amount of support they have and how many jobs are specifically targeted at women, it’s clear that things have definitely changed for the better.