Paula Span’s essay “Women and Computers” is about the relationship between women and computers. This essay was written a decade ago and appeared in the Washington Post. This article is about a type of “cyber-segregation” that exists between men and women. The author’s goal is to expose the imbalances between men and women, boys and girls, with respect to the use of computer technology. Span argues that, “the world of computers” is “a guy thing”; men are more interested in using and upgrading these magnificent machines even if they are not programmers or professional users. The author presents us with several personal and contemporary examples as evidence to prove her theory. According to several polls, only 20-30 percent of computer users are women, furthermore, these numbers are projected to decrease in the future if the present trends continue. Span’s observations along with results from polls taken nine years ago are partly true today. Computer science and programming is still dominated by men; however, the number of women who use the Internet has increased since 1994.
The value of this article is that it presents an important point of view as well as facts about the imbalance that has occurred in computer usage between men and women along with the lack of involvement women have taken in forging the technological industry. Span’s article serves to motivate her readers and help them encourage their girls and women to see opportunities that their mothers missed.
Along with presenting us with evidence, Span gives us a study from 1990 showing that both girls and boys see computer use, as masculine. “Many boys are introduced to computers through those kill-and-maim computer and video games that girls very sensibly disdain.” If we examine those computer games that can be purchased nowadays, we realize that most of them are 2D or 3D strategic games where the player’s task is to complete a mission to kill the enemy, which is supposed to be “a guy thing”! I think programmers who create these kinds of games should consider making games to also engage the adolescent girl population. If we want to eliminate any kind of cyber-segregation, we have to start from the beginning, trying
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