I hear sweetie or sweetheart a lot more from older women talking to younger adults/teenagers or kids. Maybe it’s the South.

You just cant handle the fact that a genuine really professional girl who is a coder cant be snarky when calling out a pleb of a teenaged liar?

If anything its very civil language towards a spoilt brat whose parents should be ashamed to have raised a liar.

So could be the word 'Geek', only to put smart people in their place, that didn't stop you from using it as a badge of honor in your nickname. So maybe you shouldn't blanket-accuse everyone of being a misogynist based on some hypothetical male character that you made up to fit some preconceived narrative of sexism, because that is in fact the true sexism here. There are plenty of people who use the word 'sweetie' endearingly, there is nothing wrong with that.

I've also seen it used in Tumblr posts which were written with absolutely no harmful intent. It's imaginable that the author of that page had used the word in a not-mean way before in their lives, and especially likely that dripping sarcasm doesn't come through in text.

As for the actual article, I guess it goes to show that this "kid genius" media stuff is always self-interested on the part of the institutions and rarely if ever benefits any kids.

What you seem to think it is and what it actually is are two different things. "Sweetie" is a traditionally Deep South term of endearment or mock-endearment applicable to both genders and used almost exclusively by women. I can't remember the last time (if ever) I have seen it used by a man other than in imitation of women from the Deep South.

I don't know any man who would use this word except towards his daughter (when she's quite small). It's unthinkable any man would use this word in such a way - in a public post, patronizing towards a young girl. It would be an PR suicide, and the result would be contrary to his expectations.

i believe today "sweetie" is mostly used by women