My (single)mother was looked down upon for buying us a computer when my sister was 16 and I was ten.
It went as far as the local priest calling social services because he assumed neglect.
It's not like I grew up around Amish, but its just generally a very acceptable stance here to be skeptical of all new technology. It's very apparent especially when you look at the discussions centering our school system.
We still debate about the harm of too much technology in school, theres still no real IT classes and people just now start looking toward programmers as a favorable job, simply because we have stable jobs while so many other industries have problems...
It was not a social stigma in general, what I've tried to describe is more the general attitude, which is reflected by the wide usage of Google Streetview Blocking ability.
Sure there was a Pascal class, and its not like you are physically unable to learn CS if you want to, but the environment does not lend itself to leading kids down that path.
The blocking of Google Streetview and the general objection of tracking enabling technologies has more to do with the Stasi history then a general objection against technology.
Also there isn't any requirement to lead kids especially to IT. You can get good jobs in mostly all thinkable sectors of industry or services in Germany.
What is true is, that IT was more seen as a nerd hobby than a profession until around 1998. But this was true for the most parts of the world apart from a few pockets like Silicon Valley.
Sorry where was that? I do not think you have to move to Zurich to experience something better. I have never heard about this and I grew up in a bible belt region in EU.
This was in a rural place in the middle of the Netherlands: 3 times to church on sunday, not allowed anything else on that day but reading the bible. No contraceptives allowed so most families had children until they could not anymore (8-10 children were not strange), learning and reciting bible passages and singing hymns by heart etc during the week and sundays. And yet the very strict grade school got a computer when I was 9-10 (1984) and I was to teach the kids and teachers how to use it. Although they were not even allowed TVs in their houses, the town 'elders' recognized that this was the future of sorts.
Europe has a ton of rural places. If you think the US south is conservative, you should try living on an island where everyone's last name corresponds to 200+ year old farms on the same island ;)
The Wee frees in Scotland can be like that one very senior Scottish politician was excommunicated for stepping inside a catholic church (for an old friends funeral) a few years ago.
It's not like I grew up around Amish, but its just generally a very acceptable stance here to be skeptical of all new technology. It's very apparent especially when you look at the discussions centering our school system.
We still debate about the harm of too much technology in school, theres still no real IT classes and people just now start looking toward programmers as a favorable job, simply because we have stable jobs while so many other industries have problems...