“I like to code!” Of course, no one ever believes me when I say that. When I first transferred to my current school, I was trying to find my identity within the social battlefield. I hung around a group of girls who slowly drifted away once they realized I was a computer whiz and not just a pretty face, or as they put it – “one of the weirdos.” Disappointed and frustrated, I sought some like-minded classmates, friends who share the same passion as I do. Girls being judged for coding happens not only in one school or country but also worldwide.
There are many factors that contribute to the taboo of coding for girls. Firstly, just like what happened to me, girls who code are considered ‘nerds’ (ironic since those ‘nerds’ usually grow up to be more successful than the other girls). Because of Tik Tok, Instagram, and other social media, teens nowadays have developed a stereotype of what defines your cool factor. The ‘cool kids’ are either a sports leader, a celebrity-look-alike, or an influencer. To put it bluntly: your popularity is defined by your looks, oof. Computing nerds? Nah, teens don’t like ’em. Most humans want to be accepted and are willing to compromise themselves for others – even if that means giving up their true identities.
Today the tech success stories we see in the media are mostly male; there are rarely any female billionaires who have become successful in the same arena. The famous and successful women we see on the internet are usually singers like Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift or fashion icons like the Kardashians. Male celebrities, on the other hand, are more diverse, with more entrepreneurs like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg, and Jeff Bezos. This builds up a stereotype that girls are just not meant to be programmers, or worse, that we really haven’t evolved much since the early objectification of women. Yet, we need balanced workers of both genders because, according to CBS, girls more frequently use social networks such as Tik Tok and Instagram than boys. As the statistics have shown, 8% more girls use social media. (Well, boys game more than girls). Also, some apps and websites are made exclusively for girls and sometimes consist of issues that only we understand, such as period calendars. Bumble, a dating app created by Whitney Wolfe Herd, has received positive feedback from its users for empowering women in the dating world. Women get to decide with who they want to initiate a conversation. On the other hand, Tinder, a male-based dating platform, has received backlash for encouraging the old-fashioned stereotypes of damsels in distress waiting for the knight to decide. How can a platform be engaging if over half of its producers cannot relate to its modern users?
Five years ago, Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, gave a TED Talk about the need for bravery and imperfection for girls. Coding to Saujani is a chance for girls to learn bravery. According to her, girls are socialized to be ‘perfect.’ She also mentioned that the main reason boys tend to be more successful than girls is not only because of sexism but also because of the way they act and feel when facing challenges. Boys are taught to take risks, while girls are taught to be perfect. During an experiment, when a boy faced a challenge, he redoubled his effort. On the other hand, when a girl faced the same challenge, she was quicker to give up. Perfection or bust. In Saujani’s words, “It [coding] often takes many, many tries until that magical moment when what you’re trying to build comes to life. It requires perseverance. It requires imperfection.”
So what are the benefits of having women in tech? We would have more relatable platforms to use as a start. The stereotype would change, and talented girls would no longer need to hide. According to Entelo, one of the leading recruitment firms, there are only 19% of women in entry-level and mid-level positions, and even less with the higher levels in the tech sector. This lack of representation means there are more job opportunities for us. If more women entered the landscape, we’d be securing our own standing in the field. We would be building confidence for our gender so that we can argue for the remuneration equality we deserve.
Technology isn’t something that can be learned instantly; just like any skill, it takes time, consistent effort, and endless hours of practice. We’re in the prime of our youth right now with a golden opportunity. We have more time on our hands than adults and can afford to explore. If we don’t seize this chance, we will need to double our efforts in the future to play catchup. Coding isn’t something learned automatically just by talking about it; we need to practice and hone our skills daily. So to all girls who are reading this, if you love to code too, continue, and let’s unite and change this world together. Take the risk because you may be the next female tech magnate.
- Taiwan