Is Technology Girl-Friendly?

In a new book called Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing (MIT Press), a pair of social scientists makes the following plea to educators of young people: recruit and retain more girls in computer science classes.

The authors, Jane Margolis and Allan Fisher, say that girls who have the smarts but don't become engaged in technology early on will later miss out on the educational and economic opportunities that their tech-savvy young male counterparts accrue. Most significantly, girls will lose out on future careers in the computer industry, where salaries are often high, positions plentiful, and opportunities limitless. More so, technology is an integral part of our future, say the authors, and girls should have a stake in it.

"We want to get this book into the hands of K–12 educators," says Margolis, a researcher at the University of California at Los Angeles. "It's a guide to action, more than a research book."

One of the study's most important findings: females are very interested in computer science but their interest can often be extinguished at a young age. The reasons for this are complex, but the common perception that computers are "guy stuff"—rather than "girl stuff"—is a significant part of it. However, say the authors, educators should know that they can make a difference in young women's lives—for example, by encouraging the entire girls' swim team to take a computer class.