1 This is the postprint version of: Lim, S. S. & Ooi, J. (2011). Girls talk tech: Exploring Singaporean girls’ perceptions of technology. In M. C. Kearney (Ed.) Mediated Girlhood: New Explorations of Girls' Media Culture (pp. 243-260). New York: Peter Lang. Girls Talk Tech: Exploring Singaporean Girls’ Perceptions and Uses of Information and Communication Technologies Sun Sun Lim and Jemima Ooi Singapore is a highly mediatized society where the government has avidly promoted the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs). It has the world’s highest broadband Internet penetration rate, at 99.9 percent (W. Tan) and mobile phone subscriptions stand at over 5.9 million (Infocomm Development Authority), exceeding the country’s population of 4.6 million (Statistics Singapore). Within Singapore schools, ICT use is incorporated into 30 percent of curriculum time through its use in instruction, online learning portals and interactive educational games (Koh). The vast majority of schools are state-run, coming under the purview of the Ministry of Education, which promotes ICT use in schools by providing network infrastructure, hardware, and curricular support. Math and science are heavily emphasised in Singapore’s national curriculum, and female university enrollment in such disciplines as computing and engineering does not lag behind male enrollment as compared to other countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. (Galpin). To support the growing adoption of information technology (IT) in Singapore’s rapidly modernizing economy, the government has sought to incorporate IT training into schools, from primary to tertiary levels. Computing facilities are comprehensive, with the ratio of pupils to computers at 6.6:1 in primary schools and 5:1 for secondary and pre-university schools respectively (Ministry of Education). Teachers are also encouraged to actively use ICTs as a