Gender differences in the use of technology

RUNNING HEAD : Gender Differences

Gender Differences in the Use of Technology

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At the center of 21st century culture is computer technology which presence and use just decades ago , were limited for the government and some institutions . Today , computer technology steps out from such isolation pervading all institutions , industries , commerce and other areas of life at what appears to be logarithmic speed , making its mastery or at least working knowledge an essential requisite if one is to keep pace with time . The ubiquity of technology , continuous rise

in the demands for technologically-advanced workforce combined with the application of basic economic principles make one think whether the study on gender differences as it relates to technology is really a matter worthy of anyone 's attention . Statistics say it is

Generally , in a technological workplace , women are still underrepresented : only five percent of computer programmers , ten percent of system analysts and ten percent of electronic technicians are females (Statistics : Women in Technology , 2008 . In major companies in Silicon Valley , only 5-6 is led by females (Statistics : Women in Technology 2008 . There has been a decline in the number of females pursuing careers related to science and technology . According to the National Center for Education Statistics , the number of women who earned a bachelor 's degree in computer science has decreased from 37 to 28 .4 from 1984 to 1995 (Statistics : Women in Technology , 2008 . Female students who took the advanced placement computer examination comprised only 17 (Statistics : Women in Technology , 2008

From these statistics , one may speculate that females ' future career choices still fall along traditional paths . This was confirmed by a study done by Lupart and Cannon (2002 ) on students ' perceptions on desirable career characteristics and career choices

With the rising demand for high-tech jobs (Statistics : Women and Technology , 2008 , knowledge and use of technology become an essential condition to improve women 's participation in the workforce and to enable them to pursue higher status and better-paying jobs in the future . However , the general belief is that not only are women underrepresented in the technology-related industry they are also considered to be less interested , less confident and less skilled in this area . These three factors affect their usage of technology . Still underneath these factors , women 's computer usage can be traced on socialization and upbringing

Boys and girls do not play the same games during childhood . While boys are usually made to play video games or games that promote problem-solving , hands-on skills and spatial-relationship skills , girls play with dolls , which tend to develop their value of relationships (Milgram , 2007 . Problem-solving , hands-on and spatial-relationship skills are critical to the study of computer and technology-related subjects . As a result of this discrepancy in development , males become more interested in technology and become better-equipped with the necessary skills as they reach adulthood (Milgram , 2007 . The males generally higher interest in technology , however , does not affect the possibility of improving females ' perception and attitude towards technology

The effect of ubiquitous computing on gender...