7 Ways to Change a Young Girl’s Life with Tech
The Black Web 2.0 Tech Report
2010-06-30
By Black Web 2.0 Staff
There are so many outside forces that pull on our girls, encouraging them to make less than savory decisions like drop out of school or work in the strip club grinding to some god-awful song about being in love with a stripper and making it rain. But we at Black Web 2.0, know there’s a better way. So instead of watching the young girls in your life wasting their precious time watching the latest Katt Stacks interview, try these on for size and help them upgrade their lives
* Tell her the Internet can improve the quality of her life and make her world a whole lot bigger. She can blog, write an e-book, meet other positive kids and read about a world bigger than a rap video could ever convey.
* Take her to the Bureau for Labor Statistics’ website to the Occupational Outlook Handbook and show her that she can make more bank than Kimora Lee Simmons if she learns to leverage her potential on the world wide web by creating an app, starting an Internet property, or asserting herself as an online presence.
* Take her on a tour of the Internet and show her profiles of successful Internet business women that don’t have to rely on a man to make their dreams come true. Check out Fast Company’s Most Innovative Women in Tech listing for helpful hints.
* Get her a tech mentor. Find a woman that loves gaming, gadgets, social media, anything related to tech. Before you introduce your budding techpreneur to her digital yoda, make sure she’s the real deal. These days tech savvy is often imitated, everyone who says they are a social media or tech guru is not. Stumped on the type of woman you should be searching for? Try these successful ladies on for size: Angela Benton, Lynne d Johnson, Robin Caldwell, Deanna Sutton, Shani Byard-Ngunjiri, and Sherri L. Smith.
* Take her to a tech event. Even if you’re bored to tears, the experience can help spark the flames of tech-induced inspiration for years to come. It’s also an excellent opportunity to scout out that tech mentor that we just discussed. Tech events to check out: Digigirlz, TEDxKids @SMU, TEDxClassroom, TEDxNextGenerationAshville.
* Get her a piece of technology. If it needs to be assembled, have her help with the nuts and bolts. Once it’s up and running make sure she learns to use her new toy inside (your home) and out. Most importantly, show her how to use it responsibly, which includes scheduled maintenance. Some tech toys to consider are the Video Journal, Nintendo 3DS, or a netbook.
• Last but not least, affirm her value as a smart, thinking girl. Let her know that her worth is not tied to her looks or body. Let her know that her heart and that brain are the most beautiful parts of her body and more precious than gold. Tell her she is powerful.
The BlackWeb 2.0 Tech column is in partnership with Black Web 2.0. Explore Now.
