Women and Technology

Woman and technology; this is a complicated subject that has been explored from many different angles. There are varying opinions on the effects that technology has had on women. One side of the spectrum says that women have benefitted from the equal nature that the anonymity of the computer has introduced. On the opposite view, some believe that the internet and computers have created a negative image for women, pushing unrealistic body figures of video game characters and exploding with pornographic content

First, we will explore the negative effects on women. With the growth of the internet came the growth of the objectification of women. Although this has always been an issue in our culture, the internet has given a forum for a seemingly unlimited supply of these images. Through video game characters, anime characters, and pornographic actresses the internet has portrayed women in unattainable and offensive ways. These images of women that are viewed millions of times over hurt the women of our society. Thinking that these unrealistic images are some sort of goal or accomplishment is detrimental to the growing girls of the next generation. These images distract from real women with real accomplishments and successes.

Beside the negative images of women in the world of entertainment, there are also negative images of women portrayed in technological advertising. For one example, I had watched commercials for years for the company GoDaddy without understanding what they were selling. To be honest, it seemed like they were selling attractive women or at the very least something associated with those attractive women. In reality GoDaddy is a domain registrar and web hosting company.  The purpose of this company has absolutely nothing to do with scantily-clad women in the advertisements. There are two problems with this form of advertising. Not only are they objectifying women, they are also focusing all of their advertising on the male population of internet users, and ignoring that women are also customers for these tech products.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have those that view technological advances to be positive for women. One way we can see this in industry is that to get jobs or advance in the technological field, interviews are based on skills. Programmers have to show what they know, so it’s a fairly objective process. This is contrary to other industries, like business, where a lot is based on appearances and personality. This ideal also applies to many one forums on the internet. The internet gives people a chance to express themselves and interact with others without the judgment on gender or looks. In some ways, women are now being valued more for their contributions because of their rarity in this environment. The internet is also a fundamentally equal tool. The information that is on the internet is not limited by gender.

In conclusion, there are many different aspects that make up the issue of the effects of new technology on women. These different aspects have affects that span from extremely positive to detrimental to women. In the end, it is really impossible to commit to either side of the argument because both sides have valid arguments and examples.