Defoe told BuzzFeed News that perceptions of non-technical roles and technical roles in the industry go both ways, which also contributes to the drama. “In some videos, creators write slanderous things in the comments. Engineers need us because they can’t communicate, they don’t have social skills – trying to show their value while putting other people down,” she said. “These stereotypes have been around for a long time. It’s divisive because it’s not true. But I think that’s part of why it’s all happening.
And some are upset that the Girl Boss content is underappreciating the challenges women still face in STEM careers. Women continue to be underrepresented in tech roles, and calling every woman working at a tech company to #Womenintech “overshadows the struggle of women in tech to break into a particularly male-dominated field,” Nunn said.
In some ways, Noon says the vlogs have provided positive awareness by showing a field of career opportunities that some viewers may not have known about. But she still believes there is a “danger” of misinformation with the flood of #TechTalk vlogs, especially for a younger audience who take the content at face value.
“Many influencers use ‘working in tech’ as a niche or as a buzzword to appeal to vulnerable audiences,” Noon continued. What we want is to break down barriers, not impose more, but it requires honesty and accountability on both sides.
