Curious to know why so few women enjoy metal detecting ?....

[Smithbrown]

Perhaps it is just an internet forum thing. Most of the women who replied to Who Are the Women of Metal Detection/Treasure Hunting? are no longer active here. I wonder what happened to Gypsyheart, Mona Lisa, FleaMistress, Michelle and the other women who used to regularly post here when I joined, almost ten years ago.

 

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[hbeaton]

The more this discussion "evolves" (the apropos word I think) the more it delves into much broader and indepth topics to explain a simple concept (which in of itself may be not so simple at all) as to why more women do not detect.

The last few posts regarding some sort of Darwinian natural selection that happened out of necessity for survival that "forced" whatever cultural customs our ancestors had at the time to reinforce a more robust cultural and psychologic paradigm of collecting/hoarding to be in a better position with a decidedly unpredictable future is an interesting idea. This thread at times reminds me of the book "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond where an even large anthropological argument is made to helps determine the whys of wherefores of Northern European and Eurasian colonization but ultimately his underpinning for that entire line of thought is, as Plumbata mentioned above, based on a selection process for those privileged to survive during scarce times and the genes that kept getting passed on that reinforced survivability.

How basic we want to go on why someone spends time digging up something/seeking more of whatever it is they are looking for or why women typically do not can come to an intellectual point of diminishing return (I'm not saying we're arrived there yet) but you get the idea.

 

[hbeaton]

See and Smithbrown has a good point, in my earlier post I speculated whether when that post started three years ago...where have all the women gone? I assumed they were still here and a mass exodus had not occurred but maybe it has.

 

[Argentium]

Perhaps not a mass exodus , but a slower fade away - but I too have wondered where some of those Ladies went . The aforementioned
link : Who Are the Women of Metal Detection / Treasure Hunting ? was an excellent thread !

 

[Msbeepbeep]

When I detected the beaches here the people that were the most curious, took pictures of me detecting and ask what I was doing the most were Asian. They thought what I was doing was odd, and there were laughs.

All I can do is guess why more women don't detect.
I don't mind getting dirty, finding a ton of trash, being made fun of, getting sun burned, sweating, etc. in pursuit of my quest for treasure.
The answer is not simple. People are different. The woman that asked women detectorist who they were, was asking a question they could personally answer about themselves.

We "MD'ers" can only guess at the answer to the question. It's like asking a choolate lover why more people don't love chocolate. We all have guesses. Only a non-detecting woman can give you a personal answer, and even then it is specific to "her".
I have tried to get my family to detect, no luck. Maybe I make it look like too much work and unglamorous. They have tried the detector but don't have the passion I do about detecting
Maybe the "fever" is real and women wash their hands more than men.

Or maybe more women are working an don't have time to detect?

 

[dogteam]

I see MD'ing as a extension of collecting, and collecting seems to be a combination of Hunting/prey drive and acquisitiveness. Collectors have always been men. Art, coins, stamps, books, baseball cards, matchbooks, marbles, knives, guns, beer cans, arrowheads, whatever. There are exceptions, of course, I'm sure that there are many women that collect things. Don't know any though. My gram collected Green Stamps (remember Green Stamps?), but that was as a means to an end, and not quite the same thing. Many people think that my aunt collects pig figurines, and gives them to her....and she sure wishes they would stop.
It's a guy thing, whether cultural or genetic, I won't debate that (have my own opinion, though).

Oh, and the Japanese look at you funny because they can't understand why you would want to find used stuff that you could just go out and buy. Same mindset that makes them ship their 2 year old cars over to the "poor people" in North America. It's just cultural... they'd never dream of going out and looking for stuff other people had lost or discarded, any more than they'd go out and spend the weekend at the garbage dump, unless they were actually destitute. That's my understanding, anyway.

 

[BrianDickSmith]

We need to remember 80's babies were the last generation to be born w. out the smart tech BOOM in our faces so we grew up outside where the imagination was the only computer so IMO girls born in early 90's and up are to separated from really understanding or respecting nature because social media and the entertainment industry have now created this mentality that "you only live once" and life is one giant reality show or party so most girls in that age range are to busy making sure they are living there lives like they are being told on TV. Very similar w. guys born after the 80's. People are to programed these days to have any interest in something they dont regularly see on TV. I think the couple tv shows that tried to expand the idea of exploring for treasure did help a little bit by getting kids interested but again it all goes back to the reality we live in and when it involves physical activity AND being outside its seems to be less and less popular. In no way am I speaking for everyone because I know all diff age range of women who love to treasure hunt. All the women in my family loved caring for gardens so hands on activity was never an issue but I do notice my younger cousins hitting the age where its no longer the cool thing to "help the adults" and plant a plant because the pressure of being a kid or teenager these days unfortunatly has become a popularity contest in turn taking away more and more of the imagination. Basically if you havnt taken the time to teach your kids that technology is an amazing thing but at the same time just as important is a knowledge and respect for nature because there may come a time when all those screens go "blank" and all the kids and adults who have based there lives around tech are gonna become drewling zombies over night w. out a clue how to survive. Im rambling here but Although there are still commited women in treasure hunting the number is drastically dropping and it is sad because I have yet to meet anyone who has given it a shot and didnt like it so I think what were dealing w. here is a generation who is litterally embarrassed to take up a hobbie as raw as digging up earth. Lesson here is dont allow tech to lead your life or your kids because you may not even notice it now but the way kids learn today is drastically different then even when I was still in school. Hope I positivly added to the convo. Good topic here.

 

[adamBomb]

Its traditionally seen as something older men do when they are retired so most woman just don't think of doing it. Kinda like why you don't see an overwhelming amount of men out knitting, when maybe knitting is a lot of fun but we never would even think to try it. This is also why you don't see more young people metal detecting. I am 36 and the majority of guys I see out on the beach are much older.

 

[BrianDickSmith]

Its bitter sweet because you want to share your love and interest in this hobby with others and sometimes no matter how you present it to a newbie the interest is just not there. I get similar feelings when hunting as I do playing guitar. I have/had days where no matter how hard I try I just cant seem to get a song right and it can get so frustrating that it turns you off and the interest is lost because it seems to hard or time consuming to ever cross the threshold of being comfertably good. Same with hunting. Anyone can swing the thing around and randomly get hits but part of being a MD is patients and accepting the fact that the ground seems to have a love for Ptabs and old nail spikes but just that one silver quarter from 1964 worth about $3 can change all that because its a sense of accomplishment so it fuels us to keep going. I mentioned this earlier but the attention span of kids these days is a record low and kids now have so much going on on a daily basis that they basically have no time to be a kid or develop hobbies outside of whats the most popular video game or who the hottest girl is. Basically if kids dont see it on TV or if its not what other kids are doing then they will deff pass.

 

[aa battery]

not here

 

[CoilyGirl]

Perhaps the question I would ask of my lady friends is " why do you like to shop?" I don't enjoy it myself to go shopping just for the sake of shopping or acquiring something new but I say each to her own. There is nothing more exhilarating to me than a day out enjoying nature and occasionally being rewarded with a find that makes you learn something new or is truly a cream of the crop trophy worthy find.Researching what I've found is nearly as much fun as finding the object,guess that's where my nerdy self comes out. I'm not into " competition" metal detecting and keeping up with the boys,I have alway just liked looking for stuff and collecting and finding it myself is the biggest thrill of all. I think there are labels put on women and if you like to hang out with guys and dig in the dirt you might be labeled unfeminine guess what? I don't care! I had one friend look down on me about my hobby and ask me why I enjoyed it,she just couldn't imagine but then again,she seems pretty miserable with herself.

 

[BrianDickSmith]

I just hope she atleast has on a high SPF because I have light skin and im getting sunburn just looking at her but at least she is out there!

 

[BrianDickSmith]

Good comment. Just the fact that you crave nature and activities that involve nature is already a huge head start when trying to show it to new people. I dont see you having the issue of having to force your kids to play outside because if they are raised with that being a normal thing then they will alwayse respect it. thats why its so important to me to remind people that this new generation of kids are being taught by teachers who got there degree online without ever walking into a class so just that separation of teachers really caring about what they teach has gone and Google is the new teacher. I have a few friends who are now teachers and even they laugh at how easy it is to become a teacher and with notebooks being replaced by tablets and laptops the ammount of physical work is lowered and personal time w. students is lost. It may be a little hard to see now but mark my words in 10-15 years we are going to see the first generation of adults and CEO's and leaders who have all been raised by technology and because of that will require technology to survive. Now i know metal detectors are actually a type of tech but its made for outside use and we still have the physical/technological balance to keep it a hands on hobby. I applaud you for keeping nature as an exciting thing to your kids because its one of the most important life lessons that is slowly being forgotton

 

[Argentium]

CoilyGirl , You got me thinking about - Why I Do Like Metal Detecting ! The answer for me is : I enjoy digging in the dirt to uncover
something - a mystery ! I guess at some point I will begin a new post where that is the question (regardless of gender )

(the question is more positively presented - Why do you ? , as opposed to Why don't you ?)

 

[BrianDickSmith]

When people (not just women these days) say "They like to shop" its basically them saying they NEED to shop and this shopping usually doesnt mean food shopping or car insurance shopping its more about shoping for new cloths and things because that person believes in there head that its important to constantly stay up to date with the times. (Materialism) Its an addiction just like anything else a person does to much of. Unfortunatly though except in rare cases when a person is telling you the love to shop chances are they are very self concious about how they look and how others see them.

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Makes sense.
I can't speak for women, but I'm ugly, only shop when I can no longer turn my drawers inside out.
I do draw a line though. Drawers must be purchased new.
Peace ✌

 

[ARC]

My ex hated it...
So I left her for one that did not :P

 

[Argentium]

ARC1 , I think I lost a girlfriend (pretty redhead too !) over my metal detecting obsession - I was out detecting when she
phoned me with the old heave ho !

 

[G.I.B.]

No talking- people wearing headphones and digging.

It would take a special woman to listen to beeping and just dig without expressing emotions and bonding with a pull tab...

 

[ARC]

Some just enjoy it.

PS.. No I did not leave my Ex wife because she did not metal detect.

BUT... One of my rare Atocha coins disappearing was a "topic" once that pissed me off. :P