See The World Differently Now
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
by Caroline Criado Perez
Sociology/Feminism
TL;DR
Basically, this book spills the tea on how most of the data used to build and run the world is based on dudes, making everything from your phone size to public toilets low-key hostile or dangerous for women. It's about spotting the 'gender data gap' – where data on women is missing or ignored – and understanding how this systemic bias leads to real-world problems in design, healthcare, work, and safety. The core methods are about recognizing the 'default male' thinking, identifying 'data gaps', and pushing for 'gendered innovation' to build a world that actually works for everyone, not just half the population. It's a wake-up call to see how data bias isn't just stats; it's literally shaping your life.
Action Items
Look around you today: Is there something you use (like your phone, a tool, or even a public bench) that feels like it was designed for someone else, not you? Just notice it.
Next time you hear about a new product, service, or policy, ask yourself: 'Who might this not work for? Whose data might be missing here?'
If you're planning anything with a group (even just a hangout), make sure you're getting input from everyone, not just the loudest voices. Try to think about different needs.
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Key Chapter
Chapter - The Default Male: Why Everything's Built for Dudes
Okay, so this chapter is high-key eye-opening. It breaks down how so much data used to design literally everything – from phones to city infrastructure – is based on the 'average' human, but that 'average' is secretly just a man. It shows how this default male thinking means products are often awkward, inefficient, or even dangerous if you're not a dude. It's not just annoying; it's a systemic issue that makes daily life harder and less safe for women because their bodies, habits, and needs weren't considered in the basic data collection. Understanding this bias is key to seeing why the world feels low-key hostile sometimes.
Key Methods and Approaches
The Default Male
(AKA: 'Society's Basic Bro Data Model')
Description:
Identifying how data collection often uses male as the standard human, ignoring female variations.
Explanation:
Imagine trying to design clothes for everyone but only measuring guys. You're gonna end up with a lot of ill-fitting shit. This is like that, but with data for everything. Society just kinda defaulted to 'male' as the basic human model for collecting info, which means anything designed using that data is gonna be whack for anyone who isn't that default dude. It's the 'Oops, forgot about women' method of data collection.
Examples:
Crash test dummies being sized for average men, making cars less safe for women.
Medical research often using male subjects, leading to misdiagnosis or incorrect dosages for women.
Office temperatures set based on male metabolic rates, leaving women freezing their asses off.
Today's Action:
Look around you today: Is there something you use (like your phone, a tool, or even a public bench) that feels like it was designed for someone else, not you? Just notice it.
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