To think its time to get rid of personal titles ie. Miss, Mrs, Ms?

[jumpingbean1810]

I was ordering something in a shop the other day and the assistant, in her 20s, was putting my details into their system. She said, I hate asking this, I find it so embarrassing but are you Miss, Ms or Mrs? I replied I'm Miss. I was there with my daughter so in that one exchange I'd divulged I was a single, unmarried parent. It's not information the shop needs for me to order a lamp. And if I was a man, they'd be Mr and none the wiser as to marital status. I know I could say Ms but does any married woman really use Ms? So Ms just ends up sounding like a Miss with issues. It got me thinking why do we need personal titles, how often are they really used anyway? Can they not just be scrapped from form filling? With the increasing desire by the younger generation to not even be defined by gender, identifying women by their marital status feels so outdated. It's international women's day tomorrow and in the spirit of embracing equity, isn't it time we abolished women being defined by marital status?

The Russians figured this out over a hundred years ago, comrade

You say no-one uses Ms. They do you just refuse to acknowledge it.

Yup. There's loads of us in profession.

*my profession

I can see what titles people use on their medical records and it’s part of the basic details that get checked with patients when they attend. It almost never says Ms. You see one or two a year out of thousands. You can make up stories if you like though.

what profession and why? Not meaning to be antagonistic or rude, Just genuinely curious. I see people from all walks of life and this really isn’t something I see.

so as a compromise, I’d suggest that no title should be an option alongsideMrs/Miss/Ms

But that would be too easy. 'Activists' don't like it simple as they always need to have something to kick up a fuss and 'campaign' about. How would their voices full of clarity and progressiveness be heard otherwise?

So no, compromise is not good enough, they want disruption and forcefulness

@UWhatNow My daughters title is her choice. If you find it offensive she will be a Dr in a few years. Erroneous? Not for her or many forward thinking companies in Europe.
It's just two letters ffs.

Rubbish. I would be very happy with the option to not give a title and I'm sure most other people who don't like titles would be too. At the moment we don't get that option.

Agree, OP, there is no need for titles.

Same. I cgaf what others choose to call themselves - I'd prefer no title and just an initial for most things.

Do people always choose the titles on their medical records? I've been trying to change mine for years but it always boomerangs back.

I do not want to be addressed by my first name (because if we did away with titles, how else can I be addressed) in formal communications. I can only imagine how it would be for the tax office to write to me as "Dear Vickie".

I was in trouble once for writing to my Great Aunt and putting Sally Dirt on the envelope, rather than Miss S. Dirt. I just copied it out of my address book without thinking - there are several Dirts in the book, and of course they are distinguished by their first name. I often write to my friends using only first names on envelopes, if they have different surnames, and it's not a big deal to me, nor to them. But Great Aunt complained to my mum, who complained to me...

Agreed OP I am 50, work in tech and generally just use my name. If asked for a title I give Ms - tends to just be onlibe forms.

I’d be fine with that too

@tunamayo81 please link to an example of "Ms" in pre-20th century literature.

I'd be absolutely fine with everyone addressing me as 'Sarah' as well - family, friends, work, NHS, tax office. All the same to me and taht is how I think of myself. Not Ms/Miss/Mrs Second name.

I'm mid 30s and all our married friends, without exception, all go by (and like) Mrs.

I’m a happily married Ms. If that makes anyone think I have “issues” then that’s their problem, not mine!

Ditto
Never felt or was made to feel as if I have issues

I am Mrs DHName because that's what I decided on at the time (decades ago). I am not actually especially wedded to using a title that shows my marital status, but it would be weird to change it now!

I find Ms annoying for two (admittedly fairly petty) reasons. Firstly it doesn't look like it should sound like 'Miz', but 'Mzzz' sounds stupid. Secondly unless you're saying it slowly and very clearly before the surname, it sounds like Miss anyway!

Oh and I mostly wouldn't mind having no title, but I'm a teacher, and I'm not sure I'd actually be very comfortable with my students calling me by my first name!

I work in tech and I cant remember teh last time I saw or heard Mrs. Literally decades ago. Vast majority of people are address as their first name. So my contract,promotion letters etc all say Dear Sarah, thanks for your hard work this year etc. On the online JR system I am just my name. On the NHS app I am just my name.

Really surprised to hear so many people saying they see Mrs written down all the time, or even Ms.

I'm not an activist. I just don't think there's anything particularly out there in wanting to be able to move through life without your title being linked to your marital status.

Which is all OP was suggesting.

Female teachers all get called Miss don't they? even if they are obvioulsy married, which is a bit weird I suppose.