ABSTRACT
The world of academia has changed rapidly over the past 20 years with the emergence of the digital age and global network, or what was once called the “information age.” Initially what we all expected to be a massive transfer of information also became an age of global relationships with increased opportunities for collaborations and an increase in platforms for science communication. Globally a voice was given to many who did not previously have a platform to connect and empower each other, including women navigating careers in science academia. In this chapter we will speak about our experiences as female scientists engaging with the global network and touch upon the further insight that relevant research provides regarding this relatively new dynamic. We now have a global network available to us that makes it easier to access mentors and be strong female exemplars ourselves. In our careers, it has allowed us to connect with other women in science via social media platforms and movements and disseminate our research more widely and freely. This can present more opportunity for success independent of established connections within male-dominated hierarchies. This can also increase opportunities to diversify science itself and the topics deemed worthy of research. For example, you can create content yourself and put it out there with decent potentiality for it to reach the target audience. It is also more possible now to intentionally highlight other women via engagement with their content, and online spaces and movements are available to safely discuss challenges associated with being a female scientist (e.g., discrimination, etc.). However, there are also potential obstacles presented by this wider global stage. Gendered expectations about women and what it means to be a scientist can create tensions, particularly in the space of intellectual ability and access to the global network. The current chapter, therefore, will address some of the benefits and also disadvantages for females in the digital age and global network.
