It used to be that when a married woman kept her maiden name, in whole or hyphenated, it carried with it a flair of feminism. When my wife and I married, we had a very short conversation on the topic. I would've been equally happy and supported whatever choice she made. And she didn't feel a strong need to hold on to the maiden name (it would've made one heck of a hyphenated name: 19 letters plus the dash).
It occurred to me that social media - Facebook in particular - is perpetuating this trend. Think about it, most of the married women you know on Facebook show both their maiden name and their married name. Not necessarily because they are feminists, but because it is easier for people to find them. The friends of their youth knew them by one name and their post-nuptial friends by another. Simple as that.
I don't think Facebook, or any other media for that matter, is taking an activist's stance, nor do I think women are necessarily becoming more feminist. But I do think this will cause a cultural shift that in, say, 20 years, will just seem natural and not feel like activism. Call it "accidental feminism."
What do you think?
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