Author Archives: Frostie

Nearly Half of Women Make Up STEM Employment

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Over the past few decades, there has been a massive rise in the female workforce, with the employment rate of women aged 25 to 54 up from 57% in 1975 to a record high of 78% in 2017. In fact, recent reports collected by http://freshstudentliving.co.uk/ found women in the UK are 35% more likely to go to university than men.
While women make up 47% of employees in ‘male dominated’ STEM subjects, they now represent a quarter of the jobs in mathematical sciences and 13% of engineering positions. Women may still dominate traditional roles like nurse practitioners, flight attendants and social workers, however there has been an increase in female students entering less traditional career paths like computer programmers, aircraft pilots and even firefighters, to name a few.

Flipping Gender Roles 

According to the latest findings from UCAS, women in the UK are 35% more likely to go to university than men. Women attending uni outnumber men in 112 of a total of 180 subjects, with women charging ahead in subjects like psychology (81.7%), social work (88.3%) and academic studies (88.7%). Nursing remains the most female-dominated subject with 90.5% female students in 2017.

Due to encouragement and some strong female role models, female students are taking on traditionally male-dominated subjects like computer science and engineering. As it stands, there are 66,840 more women now on degree courses than men, compared with 34,035 in 2007.

Where Women are Thriving 

Although women continue to be under-represented in STEM sectors like computer science and engineering, there are other areas in which women have made significant progress. The 2017 WES survey found that 11% of the engineering workforce is female, up from 9% in 2015.

STEM sectors like nurse practitioners and data entry have traditionally been dominated by women and continue to remain so. Below is a list of sectors in which women are thriving and the percentage of women employed:

  • Registered nurses – 90%
  • Health practitioner support technologists and technicians – 81.4%
  • Clinical laboratory technologists – 74%
  • Medical scientists – 53.7%
  • Financial managers – 53.2%

The Science of It All 

Ground-breaking research by Microsoft surveyed 11,500 women between the ages of 11 and 30 in 12 countries across Europe about their attitudes to STEM. The unique insight found that most girls become interested in STEM at the age of 11-and-a-half, although most lose interest by age 15. Reasons for this include a lack of female role models in the industry and not enough practical, hands-on experience in primary and high school.

Just 42% of girls surveyed said they would consider a STEM-related career while 60% admitted they would feel more confident pursuing a career in STEM fields if they knew men and women were equally employed in those professions.

According to UCAS data, the number of women studying law has been steadily increasing for years. In fact, there is more than double the number of female law students than men who have been accepted a place to study law.  To put this into perspective, of the 26,075 students accepted to study law in 2017, 33% were men and 67% were women. According to Law Society statistics, 62% of solicitors admitted to the roll in 2016 are female.

Women Have Become the More Qualified Sex 

The hourly gender pay gap for full-time workers dropped by 8.3% from 1997 to 2017, with the gap for all workers dropping by about 9.1%.  The IFS suggests the reason for the decline is that, overall, educational qualifications for women have increased more quickly than men’s, and as from the late 2000s, women have become the more qualified sex.

How to Attract More Females to Typically Male-Dominated Subjects and Industries

It is important to tackle the stereotypes girls are exposed to in order to attract them to study male-dominated subjects in university.

Get to them early – Most girls state a lack of confidence and skills as a reason for opting out of typically ‘male’ subjects at a high school level. Changing this perception early in the girls’ school career and introducing hands-on learning opportunities, workshops and peer interactions can open the door to more young girls feeling confident in their abilities to enter the vibrant and rewarding STEM workforce.

Bust the stereotypes – It is important to dispel the myths that dissuade young girls from studying ‘male’

subjects in school and pursuing careers in these sectors. One of the main misconceptions is that IT careers are restricted to coding and development. In fact, a strong technical background can be used to enter a vast range of career paths, including medicine, education and communications, to name a few.

Female role models – Young women are put off careers in STEM and IT due to so few role models, and the mentality that it is a ‘boys club’. This is why mentorship plays an important role in setting females on a path to success and confidence. By pairing young women with accomplished female professionals, they can not only offer one-on-one attention and guidance but also act as living proof that women can achieve success in these types of industries.

 

This is How Much Sleep New Parents Get

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PARENTS GET A MERE TWO HOURS AND SIX MINUTES OF SLEEP PER NIGHT

A new study into the hilarious actions of sleep deprived parents has found that a staggering 78 per cent admit to doing something silly due to exhaustion, and it’s not surprising given that they only manage to catch two hours and six minutes of sleep each night.  

 

The research of 2,000 UK parents of children aged between 0 – 10 years, commissioned by bed maker Silentnight.com, revealed the amusing mishaps of exhausted parents due to the shocking state of their sleep habits.

 

Lack of sleep is undoubtedly one of the biggest pains for new parents, so it comes as no surprise that over a third (35 per cent) admitted to mistakenly drinking their baby’s milk formula due to excessive fatigue and one in five accidently put items such as a nappy or kettle in the fridge.

 

Not only are drained parents making silly mistakes physically, but their emotional state is also questionable, as 20 per cent admit to forgetting to pick up their other children from nursery or school. While 18 per cent admit to cradling the dog instead of their baby, and the same percentage confess to bursting into tears for no reason. Continuous lack of sleep seems to be causing an epidemic of confused and muddled parents, which is even affecting simple household chores, as nearly one in five admit to accidentally mixing up the washing and turning clothing the wrong colour.  

 

And the sleep deprived antics don’t stop there. Christian, 32, from Blackpool, admitted to cradling the family pet, saying, “I fell asleep on the sofa and when I heard the baby cry, I picked up the cat and rocked it back and forth.”

 

While holding her child, Ruth, 32, from Birmingham asked her husband to go and get their daughter from her cot. While Karen, 30, from Coventry was so sleep deprived she left the house and forgot to do up her nursing bra.

 

Other bizarre confessions from zombie parents include falling asleep in restaurants with friends, forgetting their child’s name and trying to unlock the back door using a car key fob.

 

Commenting on the findings, Silentnight’s sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan has warned that parents place too much emphasis on the amount of time they’re supposed to sleep.

 

She said, “It’s important that we focus on achieving quality, deep sleep, rather than a quota of hours. As a new parent, it’s vital to make the most of any free time you have restfully and to take regular naps of no more than 15 mins, when you can, in order to re-energise.

 

“Think about delegating tasks, don’t be a perfectionist and allow your other half and family to help out as much as possible. It’s also important not to over rely on stimulants as these will affect your sleep in the long run.”

 

Interestingly, parents seem to be completely overwhelmed by their own lack of sleep and exhaustion issues more than their littles ones, with nearly seven in ten (69 per cent) not concerned or worried about their baby or child getting enough sleep.

 

Hilariously, when asked what they would rather have, Silentnight’s findings highlighted the desperation of sleep starved parents, with a whopping 77 per cent claiming they would rather have an afternoon nap, than dinner out at a Michelin star restaurant (15 per cent). Other luxuries such as a relaxing spa weekend (38 per cent) were again overruled by a long lie in (42 per cent).

 

The findings also revealed that the sleepless nights don’t become any easier if you go on to have more than one child, with 70 per cent of second time parents admitting sleep deprivation worsens with the addition of siblings.

 

So, what can be done to combat sleep deprivation for British parents?

 

Both meditation and a hot drink before bed (27 per cent) were the preferred methods of drifting off into a deep slumber. Surprisingly, reading before bed was least favoured by older parents, with only 7 per cent of those aged 46 – 50 trying this past time, in comparison to 19 per cent of millennial mums and dads.

 

Dr Nerina added: “Sleeping with a newborn baby can be extremely difficult, and it’s important that parents try to find a balance where possible. If you do find yourself continually waking during the night, then there are a few tricks that you can use to get yourself back to sleep more easily.

 

“Be prepared – try to have everything on hand for a quick feed or nappy change and if you have to put a light on, use a low-level bedside lamp. The less time you are exposed to light, the easier it will be to get back to sleep again. Don’t be tempted to check your phone, as the blue light from screens tricks your brain into thinking it’s more awake than it is, making it more difficult to get back to sleep. Avoid checking the time – if you do this, you are more likely to start worrying about how little sleep you might get.

 

“And finally, don’t worry if you do something silly due to being tired, every new parent can relate!”

 

The study revealed the top ten parenting mishaps:

 

  1. Mistakenly drinking my baby’s milk formula

  2. Sending my child to school with no PE kit or lunch

  3. Eating baby food

  4. Putting an item such as a nappy or kettle in the fridge

  5. Forgetting to pick my children up from nursery or school

  6. Cradling the dog instead of a child

  7. Forgetting what I’m saying in the middle of a sentence

  8. Crying for no reason

  9. Falling asleep while cleaning the house

  10. Mixing up the washing and turning clothing the wrong colour

 

The new rules of divorce; exclusive survey reveals women are happier post-divorce

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Is Getting Married An Achievement?, wedding diary, engagement, engagement ring, getting married, planning a wedding, marriage, engagement,Women are more likely to be happier after divorce than men, a new survey commissioned by Style, The Sunday Times’ weekly fashion and beauty magazine, has revealed today.

 

Over half of women (53%) reported that they are “much more happier” post-divorce, while less than a third (32%) of men said the same. The groundbreaking survey asked 1,060 divorced British men and women, with an average age of 54, more than 30 personal questions about their lives and the reasons behind their splits.

 

The revelatory results showed women were also more likely to use positive words about divorce, such as “glad”, “celebration”, and “excitement”, while men were more likely to talk of “failure” and “disappointment”.

 

What’s more, 61% of women surveyed said there were happy single and not looking for a relationship, versus 47% of men saying the same. Men were also more likely still to harbour feelings for a former spouse (17% vs 8% for women), and yet they were quicker to start dating again and  more than 30% more likely to be in a new relationship.

 

Lorraine Candy, Editor-in-Chief of Style commented;

 

“We wanted to explore modern day perspectives on divorce and the reason behind it. The results are revelatory, showing there is a new generation of empowered and single woman, who have been married and come out the other side living a fulfilled single life.”

 

The most commonly cited reason for divorce was a person changing, by nearly half (49%) (35% said their partner changed, 14% admitted that they had). Most marriages, however, failed for multiple reasons, with mutual unhappiness being the next most frequent response (32%), followed by breaking down because one spouse had met someone else (28% said their partner me someone else, and 6% admitting they met someone else).

 

The survey also busted the seven-year itch myth – with nearly a third (32%) of respondents’ marriages saying ended before then, lasting between one and five years. The next blip came at 6-10 years (27%), followed by 16+ years (21%) – only 5% broke up after less than a year.

 

The decision to get a divorce is a short term one for most, with over half (51%) taking less than 6 months to decide. However women spend more time thinking about getting a divorce before starting proceedings than man and not surprisingly those who were married longer and those with children also took longer. The most common thing respondent did after their confirmed divorce was celebrate.

 

Divorce seems to be losing its stigma, with 86% of those surveyed agreeing that being divorced is not something to be ashamed of, and an overwhelming majority (90%) agreed staying in an unhappy marriage can be more destructive than a divorce. Only 3% of respondents got a prenuptial agreement but a third now agree they are important.

 

Exclusive survey from Style, The Sunday Times.

Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy

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antisocial media, Facebook,

2.2 Billion people use Facebook every month. In this age of no privacy and mass commercial surveillance this book was never needed more. Our entire lives are subject to digital tracking. We have never had less privacy. The true scope of it is shocking, and all to sell things to us. Personally I hate targeted advertising. This fantastic book gives a strong argument that Facebook makes democracy a lot more challenging. A must read.

If you wanted to build a machine that would distribute propaganda to millions of people, distract them from important issues, energize hatred and bigotry, erode social trust, undermine respectable journalism, foster doubts about science, and engage in massive surveillance all at once, you would make something a lot like Facebook. Of course, none of that was part of the plan.

In Antisocial Media, Siva Vaidhyanathan explains how Facebook devolved from an innocent social site hacked together by Harvard students into a force that, while it may make personal life just a little more pleasurable, makes democracy a lot more challenging. It’s an account of the hubris of good intentions, a missionary spirit, and an ideology that sees computer code as the universal solvent for all human problems. And it’s an indictment of how “social media” has fostered the deterioration of democratic culture around the world, from facilitating Russian meddling in support of Trump’s election to the exploitation of the platform by murderous authoritarians in Burma and the Philippines.

Facebook grew out of an ideological commitment to data-driven decision making and logical thinking. Its culture is explicitly tolerant of difference and dissent. Both its market orientation and its labor force are global. It preaches the power of connectivity to change lives for the better. Indeed, no company better represents the dream of a fully connected planet “sharing” words, ideas, and images, and no company has better leveraged those ideas into wealth and influence. Yet no company has contributed more to the global collapse of basic tenets of deliberation and democracy. Both authoritative and trenchant, Antisocial Media shows how Facebook’s mission went so wrong.

Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy

Miss Nightingale’s Nurses By Kate Eastham | Recommended Reads

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miss nightingale's nurses

A great read.

Liverpool 1855.

Ada Houston is alone.

Her grandfather has recently passed away and her brother is missing, last seen working on the Liverpool docks. Everyone assumes him to be dead.

But she will not give up hope.

Ada’s determined search takes her to the Crimea where she joins the team of Florence Nightingale’s nurses. She may have set off looking for her brother, but along the way Ada finds friends, romance and a new purpose in her own life in the most troubling and difficult of places.

Available here.

Beat the Heat With This Excellent Fan

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fan, good fans. Breeze with ease!

Frost is a fan of this pocket fan which also sprays water on you. We love the colour and it also has a handy wrist strap. Recommended.

Stop the stuffiness and stay cool and collected this summer with the backpack gadget you need on your travels.

This fan will spritz you gently with cool water on the move or at night if you need a quick fix to sleeplessness.

From an overheated office to a boiling bedroom we’ve all been there when you just can’t get cool.

This compact cooling device releases a fine water mist in addition to the fan’s cool air spin. The Spritz Ultra Fine Mist Rechargeable Fan is specially designed to provide the ultimate cooling sensation and lasts for 4 hours upon each charge.

Portable yet powerful, the wireless fan includes a wrist cable to keep on you wherever you are. Pack in a handbag, backpack or use simply at your desk this gadget will ensure you are at a comfortable temperature wherever you are.

Whether you’re cooped up in a camping tent or tanning it up on a sunbed stay happy in all this humidity.

Feel easy and breezy during a heatwave for just £12.99 from www.prezzybox.com.

Book Review: Pimple, by Ryan Weeks

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Ryan Weeks’ debut novel paints a disturbing picture of the sex industry fuelled not by drugs and organised crime but by download speed.
By Lucy Bryson for Frost Magazine
With shades of Black Mirror, the hit Netflix series, Pimple is a brave debut novel by the tech journalist, Ryan Weeks. In it, he transports us – hopefully for the first time – to London’s underworld where pimps, prostitutes and criminals abound. It explores what would happen if this shady cast of characters were thrust in the neon glare of the internet and the impact of ‘disruptive technology on society.

Pimple sees tech insiders take on the sex industry by creating an app that puts sex workers and clients directly in touch with one another, Uber-style.
With an insider knowledge drawn from his years as a mover and shaker within the world of ‘FinTech’ (or financial technology), Weeks casts a sideways glance at the buzz terms and behaviour of those involved in game-changing tech but isn’t afraid to confront tough questions about accountability.

The sex industry is a controversial subject to cover, and it’s very much to the author’s credit that Pimple doesn’t descend into tawdry imaginings of sexual encounters. Rather, it’s a thoughtful and stylishly-written novel that looks at the lives of four very different people – Annie, the tech-savvy young woman who creates the app; Elena the sex worker that signs up for what she hopes will be a safer and more profitable way of doing; Emerson, a disgusting pimp who violently object to the loss of income; and the police officers enforcing the laws that ban prostitutes and pimps from plying their trade.

Annie, the book’s main character, is a techy-savvy millennial looking for a new challenge after her financial start-up is bought out by a High Street bank. Looking for something morally rewarding, she begins to imagine ways in which she could use technology to stem a rise in violent crime against female sex workers in the city. With the help of close friend Veronica, she develops a revolutionary new app that is to throw an already dangerous situation into chaos.


The first chapters of the book outline the women’s attempts to launch the app on the street worker scene, and before long prostitutes begin to sign up in their droves – accustomed as they are to the abusive pimps, these vulnerable women find themselves suddenly in a more powerful position. Able to pick and choose her clients (rated on a 1-5 scale, as are the prostitutes) and her rates, Annie feels a cautious sense of liberation and independence. But neither the pimps nor the police are happy, and events spiral dangerously out of control, as several fraught chapters lead to a violent conclusion.

This is not a book that will appeal to all tastes. The stylised language sounds a little forced at times – particularly in the dialogue between Annie and Veronica – and some readers will baulk at the idea of a book about Millennials and their ‘tech-talk’. But Weeks is unafraid to poke fun at his own generation and its presumed pretentiousness, making this a more humorous read than the subject matter may suggest.

Weeks succeeds in conveying a sense of impending doom, and fans of the thriller genre will find a lot to enjoy here; the book crams a lot of tension, twists and turns into little over 200 pages.

But Weeks also poses some challenging questions about sexual exploitation and the impact of technology on society – questions which readers are likely to be pondering long after they’ve put the book down.

Ryan Weeks is the editor of AltFi.com, one of the leading news and intelligence resources for ‘fintech’ (financial technology) in the UK. Pimple, explores the dramatic consequences of technological disruption. It is out now through Amazon UK priced £10.99 in paperback and 99p in ebook.

The Bomb Girl Brides by Daisy Styles | Recommended Reads

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The Bomb Girl Brides by Daisy Styles

The latest Daisy Styles novel
___________

It’s 1944 and Britain is a country at war. The young women of the Phoenix munitions factory are giving their all to the cause, but romance is beckoning . . .

The life of a Bomb Girl isn’t usually glamourous. But Maggie is getting married, so she is going to make sure her wedding day is – even if she does have to spend every other day slaving on the factory floor.

This blasted factory was not what Julia had in mind either. She had always dreamed of attending Oxford University rather than getting her hands dirty and the easy laughter of the other women intimidate her terribly.

But they are all here together in this munitions factory in a Lancashire mill town, sharing firsts, pitching in and getting on. Despite rationing, dangerous hard work and new situations these Bomb Girls are going to do their best at work, and in love.

Available here.