Back in the eighties, when the world of computing was still in its infancy, it was mainly considered to be a male domain. In fact, the image of straggly haired geeky computer nerds was born during this time! Times have changed though!

Whilst there is certainly room for improvement in the amount of women in the tech environment, in a variety of areas, usage of computer technology appeals to both sexes. It can appeal in different ways though.

For example, there has been a fairly consistent showing for more females using Facebook than males. This may in part be due to the fact that there are more females than males overall, or it may be due to the social aspects of the site. Females are far more likely to update their photo album online than males.

Gaming, whether it be online or console based is still a mainly male preserve. However, again, things are changing in this area as well. With the introduction of the Wii, there has been a sharp increase in females using this and then other games consoles. Another by-product of this, is that many different age groups are also using the machine.

What does the future hold? As the amount of women actually working in the technology industry in a capacity of research and design increases, we may see a shift in the way technology is both created and used. Interesting times are ahead!