Is it just me or is the majority of archwired community fema

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#1 Post by **wearetheborg** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:56 am

Is it just me or is the majority of archwired community female?

The message boards I usually frequent have mostly guys...this board feels a bit wierd

#2 Post by **TumbleDryLow** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:32 am

I'd guess that the percentage of female participants is above 50 but...... I've seen a fair share of guys around here too.

I hope this isn't opening a can of worms, but I'm too curious not to ask.....what do you mean about the board feeling weird?

#3 Post by **wearetheborg** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:45 am

TumbleDryLow wrote: I hope this isn't opening a can of worms, but I'm too curious not to ask.....what do you mean about the board feeling weird?

OK, I should not have said wierd, I should have said "different".

Normally, the boards I go to are either very businesslike, or have a kind of joke-ish tone, where guys rip on everything. Archwired has kind of a sympathetic tone..where members lend a sympathetic ear to the newbies..feels different, I dont know, maybe its in my head.

#4 Post by **wearetheborg** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:46 am

Also, lots of scared & apprehensive people here, including yours truly ...that changes the tone

#5 Post by **KimC** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 12:07 pm

If you tink about it, the vast majority of adults that I have noticed with braces anyway, are women.

#6 Post by **fosterp** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 2:22 pm

Its probably because women are more likely to get braces as an adult, look for a community online for adults with braces, and participate in said community.

#7 Post by **wearetheborg** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 2:30 pm

fosterp wrote:Its probably because women are more likely to get braces as an adult, look for a community online for adults with braces, and participate in said community.

Hmmm, do women delay more than men in getting orthodontic treatment(to avoid high school issues etc); or do fewer men get ortho treatment?

#8 Post by **fluffybottom** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 7:23 pm

I think it is because this is, essentially, a support forum and society influences women to be much more expressive with their feelings/worries/etc than men. If women are worried about something, they will express it and seek out advice; men are much more likely to just keep it inside and 'tough it out'. These are generalities, of course, but might explain the gender imbalance on these boards.

#9 Post by **fosterp** » Fri Aug 06, 2010 12:06 am

wearetheborg wrote:
fosterp wrote:Its probably because women are more likely to get braces as an adult, look for a community online for adults with braces, and participate in said community.
Hmmm, do women delay more than men in getting orthodontic treatment(to avoid high school issues etc); or do fewer men get ortho treatment?

I wouldn't say it has anything to do with delay in treatment as the reasons for not getting treated as a child has a multitude of factors not related to gender. But at older ages, I would say women more than men are more self conscious of their appearance and more likely to do expensive and time consuming things to improve it. Look at time/money spent at hair/nail salons, buying expensive clothes, jewelry, etc. Women are much more invested in their appearance. A woman is that much more likely to get plastic surgery. Likewise, the same principle can be applied to wearing braces.

And then as said above, the nature of a support forum increases the gender gap even further.

#10 Post by **footpounds** » Fri Aug 06, 2010 5:48 am

I am a guy here and I have braces. I just need to be held.

#11 Post by **roost22** » Fri Aug 06, 2010 6:21 am

I am a male 47 and still wearing braces. I keep being told 2 more weeks, 2 more weeks, it is starting to get old.

#12 Post by **bracesrox** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:31 am

I'm a 34yo male and love archwired. I learned so much about my treatment even before ever getting braces. Its a great place to get questions answered and advice. I guess there are more females but I'm glad there here because they are sympathetic and listen.

#13 Post by **bottlecap1990** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:51 am

In America, women are pressured to have good looks. Not so much for men.

I am a male however. 20 yrs old.

#14 Post by **DrBlur** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:55 am

Male here, 30 yrs old...

but yes I have noticed it tends to be skewed toward more female members here

#15 Post by **psych braces** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:25 pm

women are cheerleaders..."hang in there...you can do it!" Notice that a post may have 500 views but just 10 responses (9 are likely women). I would bet that there are many many men in the population of those 500 views but they just don't respond. Regardless of whether one responds to a post, the ability to feel common with others is comforting and we all need that. I appreciate everone on this site!