Memoir prompts reflection on sexism in technology

Having left New York City behind for San Francisco’s Silicon Valley, author Anna Weiner struggled to adapt to the casual, male-dominated startup scene. After a brief stint in the publishing industry, Weiner traded in her Bedford for Java for Dummies, moving across the United States in pursuit of professional and financial security. Currently a contributing writer at The New Yorker, she continues to merge her personal and professional interests covering Silicon Valley tech culture.

In “Uncanny Valley,” Weiner seamlessly integrates personal anecdotes with professional expertise, crafting a memoir that addresses the inequities that exist within the increasingly prevalent world of technology. Though the technology industry looks vastly different today than it did in 2013, the sexism Weiner describes throughout the entirety of her memoir continues to be a point of contention. In each of the three positions she discusses within the text, she continually found her roles to be purely ceremonial.

“I felt like a babysitter, a fifth wheel, a chaperone, a little sister, a ball and chain, a concubine,” she wrote. “I felt more important to the aesthetic than critical to the business.”

Instead of being hired for a purpose, she mused, she was hired to increase the companies’ diversity profiles. Tech companies are continually being told to hire a diverse population of individuals, but at what point does it become tokenization? Weiner believes that, in an ideal world, we would hire individuals of different backgrounds naturally, not for the sake of something else. Though Weiner doubts these corporations care about the moral impact of their actions, it is unfortunate that diversity often results from the need to uphold certain societal standards or expectations.

At what point are we hiring people purely for the color of their skin or gender? Are there circumstances in which we sacrifice skill for the sake of diversity? Weiner addresses these questions at great length throughout her memoir, analyzing the importance, if any, of societal obligation over skillset. As head of a nontechnical team at a data analysis firm, Weiner oversaw day-to-day customer interactions. In “Uncanny Valley,” she heavily details the lack of trust her male counterparts had in her abilities. She compared her position to “immersion therapy for internalized misogyny,” realizing that her day-to-day routine consisted solely of “ceaseless, professionalized deference to the male ego.”

Despite the seemingly grim perspective from which Weiner documents her experiences in tech, her writing remained both witty and sarcastic, keeping her readers thoroughly entertained. She presents her story in a very matter-of-fact fashion, acknowledging that her background in literature does not make her an authority in the world of technology. Her lack of technological background, however, aids in attracting an audience of differing backgrounds. The memoir itself is written informally—think of sitting down to catch up with a friend you haven’t heard from in a long time. The casual nature with which Weiner addresses these controversial topics made the book extremely enjoyable. Infused with dry humor, the memoir balances a thought-provoking narrative with the occasional comical aside.

She writes, “I wanted the men on my team to think I was smart and in control and to never imagine me naked.” Here, she addresses the objectification women commonly face in the workplace but does so in a relatable and matter-of-fact fashion. Later, however, she addresses the heart of the issue: “Sexism, misogyny and objectification did not necessarily define the workplace—but they were everywhere.”

Through her writing, Weiner meticulously analyzes women’s place in the tech industry in relation to their male counterparts, acknowledging and addressing instances of discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Though the content of the book would likely resonate best with millennials working in the tech industry, Weiner’s conversational style makes it an easy read for any young adult. The lack of jargon ensures that readers do not need a technical background to understand Weiner’s experiences.

In fact, Weiner’s lack of technological savvy is the very thing that makes the memoir accessible to a larger audience. Anyone can pick up “Uncanny Valley” and learn something from it, whether about the technology industry as a whole or the inequities plaguing society today. It is funny, relatable and remains extremely relevant in the ever-evolving world of technology.