Girls get kiddie tablets, boys get game consoles — researchers say tech gender bias starts with parents

Gender inequality in technology starts with parents.

For parents, gender matters when it comes to what technology and media they’ll give to their children, according to a study from research firm PlayScience, which is a company that works with partners to help them better understand their customers. The organization surveyed 501 parents of children between the ages of 2 and 9 to collect its information. The data showed that parents treat their children different depending on their sex. This mostly results in adults enabling boys to pick and choose the tech and media they consume while parents are more likely to give girls things that are marketed specifically for kids. While PlayScience did not claim any link, it’s possible this is one reason for the imbalance of genders in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and employment.