It's not that it's universally true, but I quickly learned during my collegiate years that many people studying computer science came from mostly white affluent

It's not that it's universally true, but I quickly learned during my collegiate years that many people studying computer science came from mostly white affluent areas. When you come from a blue collar area, it isn't all that common to leave and go study STEM. These bubbles may be overstated, but they are real. And as a practical matter, it's quite easy to see how others in one's own profession are doing: are they being laid off, promoted, hired elsewhere, etc.