Prompt Cast
Gender Divide in Computer Science
TLDR Women were pioneers in computing but were later sidelined as the percentage of women studying computer science decreased. Efforts to increase female representation in computer science programs have been successful, closing the gender gap in enrollment and dropout rates.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Women were pioneers in the computing world but were later sidelined as the percentage of women studying computer science decreased over time.
03:04
The percentage of women studying computer science increased until the early 80s, but in 1984 there was a significant drop that changed the course of the field.
06:01
Struggling with confidence in computer science class, Patty changed her major from computer science to foreign language due to the increasing importance of owning a home computer for success in the field, creating a divide between those with access to technology and those without in 1984.
08:36
Early home computers in the 1980s were marketed as toys primarily to boys, creating a gendered divide in access and interest in technology.
11:46
Computer manufacturers and their advertising agencies may have unintentionally perpetuated sexism by targeting boys as the primary market for computers in the 1990s, leading to a gendered divide in access and interest in technology.
14:50
Stories, movies, and books in the 1980s glorified geeky tech males, pushing women out of the computer science world and leading to a significant number of women dropping out of the program despite being skilled, prompting efforts to reverse this trend.
17:23
Efforts to increase female representation in computer science programs have been successful at various universities, with significant progress seen in closing the gender gap in enrollment and dropout rates.
