The “Computer Science Nerd” Stereotype and How it Discourages Women from Entering the Field

It seems that the Golden Age of women in computer science is upon us. Institutions across the country are opening their doors to female talent and empowering women to pursue careers in tech. While the industry has made tremendous strides in increasing female participation in computer science, among other STEM fields, a peculiar new stereotype is on the rise.

From its beginning, technology and computing have been labeled “masculine fields”, which has created strong misconceptions among adolescents, particularly women/girls: “A 2008 study by the Association for Computing Machinery … found that while college-bound boys equated words like ‘interesting,’ ‘video games,’ and ‘solving problems’ with computing, girls associated terms like ‘typing,’ ‘math’ and ‘boredom’”. The recent development of the video game industry, which commonly interests young men, has further exacerbated this problem. Those few women who manage to work through their pre-held beliefs, gain exposure to the field, and graduate with a degree are faced with a whole new set of challenges -- breaking the new stigma: the “computer girl” label.

When a woman enters the tech world, she is expected to fit the mold of her male colleagues, to become the “hardened veteran”, the woman who rejects all things traditionally female in favor of a t-shirt and a messy bun. While there is nothing inherently damaging about this image, the surrounding pressure of the industry on women to “become” that person can be both unappealing and intimidating. "It is the stereotyping of computer users as male, socially awkward and intense that dissuades females from feeling a sense of belonging in the computing environment." (Robbie Meredith, BBC News NI Education Correspondent)

Many proponents of STEM education for women have pointed to the lack of female role models as the leading cause of the gender gap. However, “a much-cited 2012 University of Michigan study … questioned whether having more feminine role models in science and math fields could counteract the discouraging stereotype that those fields are unfeminine. The study found that feminine role models actually reduced middle school girls' interest and perception of their own ability in math compared to more gender-neutral role models.”

The lack of female role models is not so much the problem, as is their mislabeling and ridicule. Girls need to know that it’s perfectly acceptable to enjoy shopping, clothes, makeup, pop music, romantic comedies, and art, while also excelling in computer science. Those interests are not mutually exclusive. The stark absence of the “traditionally feminine” woman in the workplace, as counterproductive and stereotypical as it may sound, is the phenomenon that is most off-putting to the majority of incomers.

The solution? Break the stigma. Expose young women and girls to attractive, fashionable, AND motivated female role models who they can relate to and see themselves as. Show them that computer science isn’t “uncool” or “nerdy” but a powerful tool and an outlet for the creativity that is uniquely theirs.

Works Cited

Meredith, Robbie. “Computer 'Geek' Stereotype Puts Girls off Subject.” BBC News, BBC, 19 June 2019, www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-48679123.

Brown, Kristen V. “Tech Shift: More Women in Computer Science Classes.” SFGATE, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 Feb. 2014, www.sfgate.com/education/article/Tech-shift-More-women-in-computer-science-classes-5243026.php.

Statistics, cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/women-in-cs/statistics.html.

“Computing Whether She Belongs: Stereotypes Undermine Girls' Interest and Sense of Belonging in Computer Science.” Computing Whether She Belongs: Stereotypes Undermine Girls' Interest and Sense of Belonging in Computer Science | Gender Action Portal, gap.hks.harvard.edu/computing-whether-she-belongs-stereotypes-undermine-girls%E2%80%99-interest-and-sense-belonging-computer.