Tech’s meritocracy rhetoric contradicts its actual demographics and practices

Evidence

In a cultural context where idealists have linked social media to democracy, egalitarianism, and participation, the tech scene in San Francisco considers itself to be exceptional. Supporters speak glowingly of a singularly meritocratic environment where innovative entrepreneurs disrupt fusty old industries and facilitate sweeping social change. In this chapter, I look at how the tech scene thinks about itself. Even those people who privately acknowledge problems and difficulties offer platitudes about participation when asked about San Francisco. But if the tech scene is really a meritocracy, why are so many of its key players, from Mark Zuckerberg to Steve Jobs to Gary Vaynerchuk, white men? If entrepreneurs are born, not made, why are there so many programs attempting to create entrepreneurs? If the most successful people in tech are authentic, why do people feel so much distress around revealing and concealing information? If tech is truly game-changing, why are old-fashioned capitalism and the commodification of personal information never truly questioned? — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 645

Categorization

• SEED: A strong essay hook: using internal contradictions (meritocracy vs. whiteness, born-vs-made entrepreneurs) to dismantle any self-congratulatory ideology.
• XREF: connects to: Tech meritocracy discourse masks a narrow demographic and behavioral mold — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 46; Tech scene meritocracy claims mask the need for preexisting elite networks — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 204; Espousing meritocracy while reinforcing sexist talk perpetuates low women’s participation in tech — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 693 (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• The meritocracy myth masks structural inequality and justifies tech wealth #corroborates (0.92) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 673
• Espousing meritocracy while reinforcing sexist talk perpetuates low women’s participation in tech #expands (0.88) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 693
• Tech culture’s self-image conceals a closed system of privilege centered on profit #expands (0.85) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 647
• Tech women’s success is dismissed as appearance-driven rather than earned #exemplifies (0.75) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 707