Socail Media and a frustration

 I belong to a number of groups on Facebook, and I have noticed something that bothers me, and it is how people start off their comments or questions.

Some of the groups that I belong to are for cross stitch and crocheting as I enjoy both of these crafts and I have seen something that bothers me.  

Cross stitch group – Ladies, can you give me some advice

            Why do you need to put “ladies” in the statement, why can’t it be “I need some advice.”

            What is funny about this group is that this group is run by a couple, and this has happened in other cross stitch groups.  If you need to ask a question, just ask it and don’t add the ladies or girls or anything like that.  I have seen this same type of comment in most of the cross stitch groups, and it is sometimes funny when one of the men ask if they are allowed to answer the question.

Crochet group – Girls, I need your help

            Girls were not necessary as in this group there are quite a few men, and it is run by two men, so why do you have to add the word “Girls” to the start of the statement. 

 

This is something that I have noticed quite often, and it is amazing how some people figure that crafting is only for women.  I know that I watch some FlossTube on YouTube and I have subscribed to 5 male stitches as I enjoy what they work on.  I know that even when I was growing up, one of my uncles did needlepoint, and he was very good at it. 

When you are going to ask a question in a group or even leave a comment, remember that unless you know everyone that is in the group, you should be ensuring it is a gender-neutral comment/question. I know that I have got upset when I have seen this type of opening and would like to correct the person because I think it could really hurt some people, especially if they are having a rotten day and this just puts them down.

So, when you are on social media member that we don’t always need to start with Ladies, Girls, etc.  It is ok to just ask for the advice or leave that comment.

 

Hiding from the world

 This is a phrase that you will hear from a lot of people right now.  I just want to hide from the world and forget about what is going on.  This is so much easier said than done.  To hide from the world, you would have to basically turn off all the contact with the outside world for a while.  Yes, that means no radio, Twitter, Facebook, news, etc. and that would be a challenge nowadays.  Even the simple task of going to the store to pick up something means that you aren’t hiding from the world.

I know that when I say that I want to hide from the world, I am saying that I just need a bit of a break from being overloaded with everything that is happening outside my area.  I have been able to do that sometimes simply by putting on an audiobook and not looking at social media for a while.  It doesn’t take long before you start to feel better, as that bit of a break is what we all need.  Yes, we take that break and hide from the world when we are sleeping, but there are days when just tuning out for a bit helps so much.  It is a means of refocusing and being able to get things done that you would like to do.

When I hide from the world, I am also trying to do something to relax.  Yes, you can hide from the world while working, but being able to sit and forget about everything other than the project that you are doing does feel good. I normally have some projects that are simple to do for these times when I just want to do nothing, but I also want to see something accomplished.

Yes, we all hide from the world a little, and some more than others.  Being able to sit and do something without knowing what is going on in the world even for a couple of hours is a nice break.  We all need some recharge time no matter who we are, and taking a break from what is happening around you can really help.  I know that for me, I try and spend a bit of time at the end of the day avoiding social media as it means that when I finally go to bed, I am not thinking about everything that is going on in the world.

Remember, hiding from the world for bits of time isn’t bad, and no one should tell you that you can’t do this.  I am now going to go and hide from the world for a couple of hours and listen to my audiobook.