Young women avoid STEM careers due to negative images, stereotypes

摘要

Women are perceived and projected in the media as being bad at math and science, and this reinforced stereotype has discouraged young girls from pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers, according to Ginger Wange, manager of STEM Development for SciGirls and Twin Cities Public Television, at the 2014 Women in Manufacturing Summit in Schaumburg, Ill. "Media has great impact on people's beliefs and behaviors. To change how millions of girls think about STEM, we need to change the way media portray women," Wange said. According to Wange, girls perform better than boys in science and math subjects until fifth grade. Their interest drops dramatically due to the lack of support and the fear of failing. Girls and boys do not display different abilities in math and science but rather different interests and confidence levels, which links to negative self-perception.