Hello! My name is Lauren Brener, a current sophomore who is excited to take part in this blog for the Virtual Girls class. Although I am majoring in Emerging Media, on the Experimental Animation Track, gender studies in technology is a passion of mine. I have written two published online articles about the issue of women in technology that can be viewed here and here.
We all want to feel like a member of the community, both in-person and online, so through this blog, I'd like to establish an area where everyone can share their ideas about girls in technology. I also plan to post articles and interactive content that is relevant to the theme of gender studies and creating online communities. Collaborating about this issue may inspire you to encourage others, including young girls, that there is no limitations for them (and you!) both online and in real life.
A little more about me...
My experience with technology started very early, when I was about 4 or 5. I would log onto our Gateway desktop computer (which, in later years, we dubbed "Ol' Bessie" because of its size) and play games such as "Jumpstart First Grade" and "Neopets." I was fascinated that, if I left a virtual room or clicked a certain link, there was always a way to return back to it and that it would never disappear. As I mentioned in one of the links above, my interest in web design/HTML coding blossomed from editing my profile on Neopets.com and during my senior year of high school, I became the editor of the entire school website.
From personal experience, I believe that girls enjoy technology because they can create their own identity and share it with people who they may never meet. This idea is represented primarily in Buzzfeed videos, where innermost thoughts or actions recognized by many viewers are illustrated. Together, people on the Internet can create constructive environments for users to embrace their individualism and feel that they are supported by the communities they are a part of.
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