Why do so very few girls...

[etched in dreams]

I'm kind of half and half on mechanics.
If computers count, I'm all for it. I want to be a graphic designer. <3
Robots though... They seem so complex. Fascinating, yes. But I don't really think I could ever make something so complex. xD It would be interesting at first, but I have like the attention span of a squirrel. I'd get bored and go do something nonmathmatic/brainyish. Another thing; I hate math. D: I'm in the advanced class, but I can't stand it. Science is awesome though, lol.
I'm also more of a creative person than logical thinker. But hey, that might be a good thing if I ever went into mechanics. xD
If my school had a robotics club, I'd probably join it anyways. I like being 'nerdy'. xD;  

[yoohoofairy]

xD ah well Im more of the drawing type, but i did join Ag this year and we are doing lots of wires and mechanic stuff, but the first thing the guy next to me said was "woah Jewelia your in Ag, I figured you would join something like cooking!" I just sat their and was like ehhh xD lol men...they always think women will cook for them. But our teacher is real nice he makes sure everyone knows that they can do it, and he explains how to us stuff ^-^ its fun when you understand how to use mechanical stuff even though i like drawing more  

[Ramiele]

I know quite a few women who are into machinery, but I've found that there are a lot of women don't stay it out loud because they're regarded as "manly" or something. People want to belong and having a woman seen unfeminine might be one way to be ostracized, ya know?

It also could simply be that women are raised to do more feminine things, and think about it? Grease (if you're talking about car machinery) - what's feminine and womanly in that?! Girls are wired differently than men. Much more emotional.

I was raised on a farm, and I was raised on how to fix things myself, whether they be computers, my car, the cash register or whatever. I don't hesitate telling people who I am or what I like to do, but I can see why others might.  

[Tangerine_Monster]

I think it's partially how we grow up. When I was really little, I loved blocks. Blocks and tinker toys. I didn't want to play dolls, I didn't want to play kitchen (although I would play band.) I built stuff... for pretend. I read about electromagnetics, and since I couldn't get my hands on any ACTUAL generators (my family owns no screwdrivers), i built pretend ones. With my cousin's tinkertoys. I never owned any. I did, however, own 6 barbies, none of which i ever touched. Girls aren't encouraged to play with "sciency" toys. Also, I think it's the fact that we're less likely to break rules. You only get to find out how cool the inside of your fan is if you open it first, which angers your parents. I never played with my chem set, because it said it was for ages 11+, and to play with it any sooner would be BAD.

That being said, I love math. I'm on my school's math team. And I'm taking digital electronics AND aerospace engineering AND physics next year. Because I wasn't expected to be into the stuff, I didn't realize I liked it until late last year.  

[Aquatic_blue]

Well, sometimes our brains are just "programmed" a bit differently than a man's mind. That doesn't mean all girls are horrible at machinery or technology. My husband knows a girl that can hack computers and program things like the wind. Yes, it seems like there are few girls out there, but there are some.

I am not the best with computers when it comes to things like programming or networking...it just doesn't always work for me. I'm good at using a computer, but not analyzing what's actually inside of it. I went into a computer class during my high school years and there were mostly guys...and very few girls. I was one of three. The other two seemed to get it better than I did. I was totally clueless on a majority of things. All of the hacking into the system, programming, networking, etc. confused me to death.

Just because few girls know how to deal with machinery or technology does not mean that it is strictly a man's job, or that they are better at it than some females that understand such things as machinery. I find it unique when a girl can understand mathematics, machinery, and other sources of technology. So for the girls out there who understand that stuff, consider yourself very unique!  

[flauterfli]

I did robotics in high school for a bit. I was, like your friend, the social butterfly of the team, the "cheerleader." Essentially the only one with friends outside the team and the anime club, but anywho. There were other girls on the team who were absolutely brilliant at mechanics (those same girls didn't allow me touch the robot, for good reasons...like blowing the thing up on accident...) and I know there are other very intelligent gals who would do a great job at it, too. If I were a guy, I'd still fail at technology.

It's a stupid social stigma that I can't stand. Like autos. I was the only girl there because my car keeps breaking down and I can't afford to always take it to a mechanic. My (rather ripped) boyfriend, of course, prevented the boys from harassing me, but girls would give me funny looks while I was washing the grease off in the bathroom.

@Aquatic_blue: it's not "unique" that a girl can grasp abstract concepts such as programming and mathematics. It's unique that anyone of any gender can master a science, but it doesn't matter whether or not they're male or female. Everyone thinks different -- girls do think "uniquely" from men, but that different aspect doesn't prevent a girl from, say, kicking a guy's a** on Halo. She's just kicking a** from a different perspective.  

[Testicular Diabeetus]

Women can do anything that a man can do.
Sometimes we even do it better. ;o

I hate cars but I love taking random electronics apart and fixing them.
Like my game systems, I take them apart all the time and clean them, whatever.
However I lack the balls to take my PS3 apart.

 

[Hilfin]

"It just bugs me in a way, because the most frequent question I get from other girls that are semi-interested is, "Do you have to be smart?"
This question bothers me the most of all. Because it's like they're insulting their own intelligence, like they're trying to fall back into the 1920's ideal that women aren't meant to be smart. And that sure as hell isn't true.
I may not be a genius, but my design concepts and strategies have often been picked to be featured on our robots due to their efficiency."

I can definitely see where they're coming from. It may look interesting but if it's just something so difficult that you're too focused on the things you're doing wrong that it just isn't fun, then what's the point.
It does sound like it's not something for everyone and it does sound like you need to be a little smart for it so maybe you could just explain to them that you don't have to be a genius but it is definitely something that requires hard work (meaning they need to take it seriously.)



I feel for them though, in my school, girls are encouraged to take things like that. The only thing I was rather disappointed in was the fact that I would often overhear many people in school bad mouthing the technical arts class (Building sets and doing techie work. Sound boards, mixers, backstage work, etc) and say that everyone in it but myself and one other boy, who hated the class, were all freaks and losers. They were odd but good people and even if it occasionally required you to work long hours after school ended, it was amazingly fun and a lot of people refused to sign up because what they thought people would say about them.

 

[alienli]

I'd love to get into it.
But there were no classes in school for that kind of stuff.
The few years I had in Technology classes were great though.
My boyfriend works on stuff like that,
but I'm still too broke to actually get into it myself.
But I should be getting some jobs soon, and god knows I'm going to build things.
I love using my hands for stuff.  

[rcatgurl]

My mom wants us to be perfect litle angels. We all have long hair.

AMANDA[~ She became goth. She was obessed with anime, and all that. She was straight a's. she had 100s all year senior year. She moved and now is creating modern warfare 3. and a 3-d zombie cat game.this girl can hack the cia if she wanted to

Sandra had worn a dress twice. one for prom one for ball. She's studied criminal justice. The most athlectic. She has fails 7th grade. So natually my mom failed with her.

ME!!!! My mom super failed. I hacked off my own hair (that my crush liked. ;() because i wasn't gonna be perfect. straight a's. I can program a computer like a amanda. I have read a 1,035 page book in 20hrs. i only stopped to sleep and eat and go tinkle. She pushes me to get awards. I have worked with robots. I love them. My mom hates it so much. She hattes me skateing, hanging with the guys, being random, and watching anime. My mom hates Asian. Not the people. "It is not like a lady to be rastist." SHE THINKS WOMEN SHOULD'NT VOTE! Heck educate me on car parts's and our cars would be apart and in my hands. She won't let me pursue my dreams. She hates me! A day dosen't go by without her yelling at me. I feel like cussing her out! I hate her constant singing! But ha! I laughed in her face, and now I walk ing, take out trash, work my sorry a off and do homework. kittle time to relax.
I love tinkering. Give me a mc donald's toy when i was little and i would take it apart. I am rough. I want to beat the crap out of a bunch of kids. I give speeches i do everything. Heck I would hug a kid if I wasn't afraid of getting suspended. (my school is run by strict robots)  

[Mistress Amy Rose]

I haven't had an experience with machinery yet, but my aim is to become an aero space enjineer, so I will have to have the experience anyway. I know I will like doing it because its going to be fun messing with fire and masks cool


Girls don't like it because they think its "boysish" (Term taken from my friend) maybe thats why but I dont know for sure.  

[coolkirby8]

I don't really like robotics, but I am one of the few girls I know who like battling games (Super Smash Bros Brawl, for example). All my galpals like racing games for their 'crazy totally-not-girlish' game. I like racing games too, but if my BFFs are over, and I ask 'What should we play, Super Smash Bros Brawl or Mario Kart Wii?' they ALWAYS reply 'Mario Kart Wii!'
It's like only boys can like SSBB or something?

so...Hear, hear, about what you said! biggrin  

[Ma3ta]

~I wish my high school had a robotics team :< I would have joined lol (Probably should see if my college has one >w< )

I think you should just try to encourage more girls to join smile I mean if other girls see more girls on the team then they'll be less embarrassed to join
That's how I see it. ^^ I mean my mom told me about this summer program on the Navy Base that involved rockets and airplanes. That excited me and I joined! Then before I went my mom told me that there were gonna be a bunch of boys because this is a mainly boy thing and I kinda got embarrassed. I still went though and had a blast! ~

 

[apposaws]

Because even after all those years spent empowering women, they're still women. .____.'  

[MySwtKitty]

Okay, this actually kind of bothers me. Just because girls aren't interested in things like robotics, doesn't mean they're being stereotypical.

I don't like engineering, math, science, and pretty much anything related to those topics. I'm not afraid to derfy the status quo- I just happen to like a lot of typical girl things.

I'm in a fashion design class, and I love the color pink. Does that make me conformist? Sorry if you feel attacked, OP, but I'm tired of people thinking that just because girls don't do typical "guy things", then they must be the same as everyone else.