Women Wise say…I Hate Pink – sort of…

You can spot me a mile away. I’m the tall blonde wearing aqua, turquoise, mint green, yellow and on rare occasion, black. I like color. However, I relegate pink for garden flowers. I don’t like my technology pink either. That’s why I turn red with when someone comments on the cuteness of my pink Motorola Razor with matching fuchsia case and candy cane striped earpiece. I cringe with embarrassment as I explain I bought it ‘cause it was part of a Pink Breast Cancer fund raiser. I tried to replace it with a blue one for the next three weeks to no avail. After all, I’m a high tech, wireless woman and can’t be caught with a pink phone.

I’ve read lots of research on color from cultural, historical and even energy healing perspectives. Yes, we know little girls in North America generally like pink. And I know how my 30 year old plus girl friends from China love their pink Hello Kitty slippers and notebooks. I don’t get it. Is this a cultural thing? My reaction is “how childish.”

I know marketers equate females with pink. But is it the right thing to do with technology products?

I watch how teen girls buy cell phones. They buy one way with boyfriends and another with girlfriends. Get the girls together and they zoom in for pink and girly girl accessories.

I want girls to be attracted to technology, including mobile phones and games, so they might be enticed to view technology as a career field, and in particular, be a part of game development.

We as an industry and society are not stretching our imaginations to reach out to make games and tech products gender inclusive to women of all ages. One of the failures is the fact that the number of young women entering technology and computer science programs in university is actually on the decline. It equates to a less than balanced high-tech workforce, which benefits no one economically or socially.

My point is give females choices in games and technology products. And if this means encouraging them with techie things in pink – then go for it!

Hey, that new Motorola Razor in Gold really appeals to my senses. How elegant and classy. And now that everyone has “pink,” I just want something different.

Welcoming your viewpoints…