What I've learned since joining Twitter

Hello, Reader!

I would love to pretend that I’m up to date with social media but the truth is that I still struggle to understand twitter. Because of that, I’ve been very wary of actually having an account since I knew I wouldn’t really use it and what’s the point of that. Well, a few months ago I caved in and created a twitter account (follow it if you’re nice @agademically). Like the nerd I am, a lot of the accounts I follow are book and journaling related, but the vast majority are scientists. Women in STEM subjects in particular. I already have a personal Instagram and my “business” (if you can call it that) Instagram, so I figured the best thing would be for me to branch out and have a more academic twitter so I could keep up to date with things that could be relevant to me… and maybe even learn something. The facts are that I haven’t been on twitter for long and I’m not very active on it and I don’t follow a lot of people but the people I do follow are very enriching and insightful.

The first thing I learned was that there are so many badass women in STEM fields. Yes, theoretically, I know that there are women in these fields, but it really felt like there were so few and far between because of the vast gender imbalance in STEM fields. Actively seeking out these women who have created a platform for themselves, not only to share their academic achievements but also personal experiences in academia, is so beneficial for someone like me, who is just stepping into STEM as a young woman. Reading these first-hand accounts of struggle but also triumph allows me to not only imagine my future in rose-tinted glasses but also prepare myself for the difficulties that my specific circumstances will bring.

Another thing that I’ve learned is that academia has such a toxic culture, which generally negatively impacts students and researchers alike. I’ve read numerous accounts of people who are treated as less than human by their supervisors or mentor-figures; being expected to give up a lot of their free time for their research, being expected to provide refreshments for their presentations… in fact, having all these ‘unspoken’ expectations which deem them “less” if they don’t meet them. Less dedicated, less passionate, less qualified. It’s difficult to tell how much of it is just America being… America and how much of it is the international culture of academia since (I think) I’ve seen some British academics relate to these ‘conventions’ too. With being a woman, of course, come extra difficulties related to sexist remarks, mansplaining, and sexual harassment. 

If anything, the most important thing I’ve learned, despite all of the aforementioned, that I should go into STEM and that every young woman thinking about it, should do too. Why? Because we need even more badass women in STEM subjects. Because we should feel welcome in these fields and these spaces… and if we aren’t welcome then we should barge our way in with knees and elbows.

I highly encourage you to browse the women in STEM tag on twitter and find yourself some cool female role models. Two of my favourites are Prof. Kay Kirkpatrick (@kay314159) and Nicole Benker (@brick_hausdorff). Prof. Kirkpatrick always appears on my timeline with teaching tips and science posts while Nicole Benker exposes the reality of academia and her personal experience in it, both of which help me become a well-rounded aspiring Mathematician.

Any platform is an opportunity for a learning experience.

Love,

Agnes xo