Emily Chang, Host of "Bloomberg Technology" and Author of "Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys' Club of Silicon Valley" joins The Hive to discuss the dark secrets of Silicon Valley.
Chang talks about the rising trend of polyamorous relationships and sex parties in the Valley. She talked to over three dozen people who are involved in this scene and found that women reported more double standards than men. She explains these parties are more about the power struggle than the sex, with a power dynamic that is lopsided.
She says that a lot has to be done, culturally, to change the way women are seen in the tech sector. The pay gap in Silicon Valley is 5 times the national average...which Chang says isn't publicized enough.
However, after years of reporting on Silicon Valley culture Chang is still surprised over one thing: in the 40s and 50s women played vital roles in the computer programming sector. She says in the 60s and 70s companies were desperate for talent and two psychologists said that good computer programmers "didn't like people." Well, if you're hiring someone based off that, Chang says you're most likely going to only hire men. Thus, the stereotype of the white nerd was born.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/inside-silicon-valleys-brotopia-culture).
A Senate bill unveiled on Wednesday looks to tackleonline safety for children by regulating Big Tech and social media platforms to deter users from content that can harm their mental health. Irene Ly, a policy counsel for the age-based ratings and review organization Common Sense Media, joined Cheddar News to break down the potential of the Kids Online Safety Act. "We can't be imposing such a big burden on parents to be doing it all on theirselves," Ly said. "I think you also have to keep in mind that parents often didn't grow up with social media, so they don't understand what it's like to be addicted to social media or really understand how they work."
While many still remain skeptical about the metaverse, big tech firms and even one big bank are ready to expand their virtual worlds. Facebook parent company has pivoted so hard it will now call its employees 'Metamates,' and even JPMorgan Chase has created its own digital lounge on one virtual platform. While the sector remains young, there seems to be significant investment opportunity, especially with companies like Nvidia. Adam Johnson, a portfolio strategist at Adviser Investments, joins Closing Bell to discuss which companies could win in this space, consumer appetite, and more.
Marc Blinder, Co-Founder and CEO of Aikon, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses how his company is helping businesses use blockchain applications without needing to learn the intricacies of the new technology.
Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced a new bill to afford greater protection to minors on social media. The genesis of the Kids Online Safety Act came from a Facebook whistleblower case exposing the harm apps can have on the mental health of young girls.
Ride share competitors Uber and Lyft both posted their fourth quarter earnings days apart from each other. Both companies have been trying to get back on their feet after taking some pandemic-related hits, but the Omicron variant had other ideas as the year came to a close, with each company taking a hit in ridership in December. Lance Ippolito, head trader at The Future of Wealth explains how Uber and Lyft measured up this earnings period and why Uber may still have an edge over the competition.
