Bloggers who give motherhood advice are harmful to new mothers
2024-04-05 12:42:10
TiranaPost
It has become common in recent years that every famous girl who becomes a mother, along with this new role, also becomes a blogger. Whether she is a singer, actress, moderator, along with her new role as a mother, she takes on another role, that of an influencer. At first it may start without any plan or purpose. A store that gives you something for the baby, then slowly the advice starts: I give him this, I wash him like this, and so on. But are the tips and curated videos of these famous moms healthy for ordinary moms?
"Momfluencer", i.e. bloggers who give advice to new mothers, is something that is being questioned.
If the possible effects of exposure of minors to the Internet by influential parents have been discussed for a long time, recently studies have also focused on another negative aspect: the effects of the use of such videos and photos on mothers. New research, published in the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, highlights how these mom bloggers often negatively impact the mental health of mothers exposed to such content.
In the new study, based on data gathered from interviews with 464 women who had just become mothers, researchers found that these blogger profiles promoted unrealistic standards of always-tidy homes, happy children and mothers with make-up and combed hair. , thus increasing stress levels in new mothers.
"In some cases, idealization can make things very difficult for new mothers. I have a lot of examples of famous post-partum mums showing off their 'must-haves' - a $1,000 baby bed or a $300 nipple washer, very expensive things - and that probably puts pressure on new mums,' said researcher Ciera Kirkpatrick.
“Or videos of a 'typical day' showing a postpartum mom planning meals or cleaning the house every night. This only increases the pressure."
The research, in particular, aimed to find out which individual characteristics made them more likely to experience negative feelings in the face of these videos.
The researchers found that mothers with a greater tendency to engage in social confrontation were the same ones who suffered more from anxiety and envy when watching certain videos.
"We all have this tendency to compare, but some of us are more inclined to do so," Kirkpatrick continued, highlighting how the study can now help experts intervene in the negative effects of this content: 'If we know how pastimes affect new mothers and which are more harmful to certain mothers, we can make it easier to intervene.'
