The Girl Difference
Short-Circuiting the Myth of the Technophobic Girl

By Judy Schoenberg (New York, N.Y.: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2001). 36 pp. (Executive Summary, 6 pp.)

The Girl Difference: Short-Circuiting the Myth of the Technophobic Girl summarizes current research on how girls interact with computer technology and how they perceive themselves in the overall technology culture. It explores the issue of girls and technology as well as the way girls have acquired specific strengths, interests and experiences as computer users and as potential creators and shapers of technology. This report discusses differences in girls' technology usage patterns, considering many factors:

• Roles that adults play in encouraging interest in technology
• Impact of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on technological experiences
• Technological mind-sets and imaginations of girls and boys
• Role that design plays in supporting interests in technology
• Influence that integrating different disciplines has on promoting technology learning.

In challenging the myths of gender and technology, The Girl Difference suggests implications and possible issues to consider for future research; it addresses the question, "Do gender differences matter?"

For more information about the research, or to order a hard copy of the executive summary or full report of the study, email the Girl Scout Research Institute or call (800) GSUSA 4 U.