The other day I saw a post on a blog I sometimes read asking about facebook and women, specifically:
If facebook had existed in the 1950s would it have hurt or helped the feminist movement?
I didn't comment at the time as it was well in the midst of our NICU lifestyle but the thought has stayed with me, in particular as I have been pondering the ways that technology has made my life as a mother easier.
Case in point - two nights ago was a bad night with the baby. He didn't want to go down to sleep, he was gassy and fussy and it was just hard. So yesterday I logged into the blog and asked for some mom advice from my friends and readers. By evening I had several great answers from them. I was able to then figure out what might work for us. Swaddling is difficult because of the sling we have to use to keep him sleeping on an incline for his reflux but white noise sounded like a good try. So I logged onto itunes, downloaded some white noise CDs and set up the Ipod stereo in the nursery. Last night was much better. It still could be coincidence but the technology helped me make an attempt at solving the problem without actually spending much time away from the baby and without leaving the house.
So you see...technology has been hugely helpful and maybe most so in the simple ability to keep up with the lives of my friends and family by cell phone, blogs, facebook etc.
So it makes me wonder, would a similar social network have hurt feminism because housewives were better able to be connected and less disatisfied or would it have assisted their ablity to organize and move woman's equality further along? What do you guys think? And in what ways have technology made your life easier, particularly as a mom or dad?
5 comments:
I'm not a parent, but I had a big fight with a friend of mine last week, as you know from talking to me, and as soon as I posted my "upset" status message, I talked to no less than 6 of my girl friends online, all of whom gave me different nuggets of advice and support. So, for me, the internet is a place of refuge when things go badly, as well as a place to keep up with most of my friends.
You know, I have to think that it would have been a good tool then as it is now. It makes being a parent less isolating, like you can socialize with adults when you are "stuck" home with kids. So I guess I'm saying it's great for parents and would have been great for women in the 1950s, but I'm not sure whether its impact would have been positive or negative on the feminist movement. I have the same question as you - could it have been an organizing tool?
That's such a different world from the one I've grown up in and live in that it's hard for me to even conceptualize. I know that women in the '50s tended to have really good social networking with one another. Women stuck together -- because that was who there was to be with. So I'm not sure FB would have made that aspect different. It sure would have meant that women would be able to be connected without being physically in the presence of one another. That might actually have had a negative affect. Besides, how do you do laundry, cleaning, cooking, take care of the kids AND have time to let everyone know your Fave Fives of the day???
In Illinois, with Rebecca as a baby, I didn't do much on-line networking and I did feel isolated.
Here in NY I've found so many opportunities and interesting people using a local message board. It has made staying at home a really enjoyable experience.
My dad talks about how when he was a kid his mom was always getting together with the neighbors for coffee. I think that some of this social networking is similar - we're all just very spread out now, making afternoon coffee impractical.
Hmmm. Interesting point. I would have to say that Facebook would have helped. The internet is becoming a place where we seek connectedness and unity, advice and laughter, solace and strength. Women bond, and facebook as well as other sites allows us to bond over vast geographical areas. Facebook revolutionized the election--I think that it would have done the same for the feminist movement. We would have found out we were not alone and we would have gained strength and organized in a new way.
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