From Voice Assistants to Emojis: How Your Phone Shapes Gender Roles In India

Is your phone educating you in gender roles? From Siri's "helpful" feminine voice to the pink hearts and nurse emojis we press every day, our technology is not as objective as it appears. These small design choices, from the voices of AI assistants to emojis we use, subtly influence our assumptions about gender, shaping how young individuals in India perceive the types of roles and behaviours that are considered 'normal' for women and men.

Why Are AI Assistants Usually Women?

Did you ever notice how Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant always respond in a female voice? At first, it might seem like a small design choice, but it quietly suggests that women are expected to be assistants or helpers. UNESCO's "I'd Blush If I Could" report notes that those feminine voices immortalise vintage stereotypes by presenting women as gracious, patient, and constantly available.

Some of the tech companies are now providing male or gender-neutral options, but the "default" is still female. This indicates how deeply these assumptions are ingrained and reinforces the notion that women are "docile helpers" who are always around to assist, even taking insults without retaliation.

Teenagers Absorbing Digital Gender Messages

In India, it’s not hard to notice this in everyday life. Teenagers engage daily with Google Assistant or local AI assistants, unwittingly taking in these implicit messages about women's roles. “Most AI assistants come with female voices by default, and even the emojis we use send little messages about gender,” says Ayushi Singh, a college student from Delhi. “Noticing this makes you stop and think about how technology influences the way we view men and women.”

Emojis Aren’t Just Cute; They’re Gendered

These implicit messages are not limited to AI assistants. Emojis also convey sneaky messages regarding gender. Nurses, teachers, and pink hearts typically appear female, while police, engineers, and blue hearts tend to be male. It may not seem harmful, but these tiny symbols subtly instruct children, and even grown-ups, what roles or feelings are "meant" to be associated with what gender.

Unicode has brought inclusive alternatives such as the "woman in tuxedo" emoji, but progress is slow. Most WhatsApp or Instagram users in India fall back on default emojis without realising they're perpetuating these biases.

Digital Habits Shape Gender Norms

"Sometimes social media feminism comes across as hyped and unnecessarily polarises people," says Aman Verma, presenting a critique of the way digital culture is talking about gender.

For instance, a 14-year-old will use the pink or blue heart emojis when communicating with friends. “When asked why, they simply say, ‘It just feels right.'" These small rituals illustrate how digital signals can get us engaged in gendered behaviour, unwittingly, at an early stage.

Small Tech, Big Impact

Even small everyday decisions in technology can shape the way young people perceive gender roles. Interacting with AI voices, choosing specific emojis, or just following digital habits reinforces notions of what is "normal" for women and men. By being mindful while experimenting with different AI voices, using inclusive emojis, and discussing these small biases openly, we can contribute to a more balanced and inclusive digital world.

One simple way to make a difference is by using different AI voices on your devices, selecting inclusive emojis with care, and having discussions with family or friends regarding these small biases. Even small changes in the use of our day-to-day technology can lead to a greater gender-balanced digital world.

Steps Toward Inclusive Tech

Some initiatives, like the app “SheCanCode”, are also promoting gender inclusivity in tech by creating women-friendly digital spaces, showing that technology can be part of the result, too.

By being intentional about the AI voices we choose, the emojis we use, and the conversations we have, we can reshape our digital spaces into more inclusive environments. Small choices today can build a gender-balanced digital world for tomorrow.

Views expressed by the author are their own.