Online mothers: perspectives of a new motherhood in the social media era

Abstract

The multiple social changes brought about by the implementation and use of social platforms have generated a major shift within households anywhere on the globe. Relationships, roles, and family organization are undergoing a radical overhaul due to the continuous flows of information and interactions on online platforms. Digitization has contributed to an evident structuring of new family balances, which are found to be framed in a broader “socio-cultural process of family re-differentiation” (Donati, 2014). Social networks have contributed, in particular, to an unprecedented narrative of the mother figure. At present, the woman-mother is at the center of the process of constructing a revolutionary image of motherhood. However, this process is not without its criticalities, especially for new mothers who - once they become such - are subject to the pressure of “perfect motherhood” produced and evoked through content of all kinds - especially reels and posts - published by other mothers or experts. Italian moms turn out to be increasingly subject to postpartum depression and marital (or cohabitation) crises, “purely liquid-modern ills” (Bauman, 2003), and find in social networks a place of escape and confrontation. This paper undertakes to thoroughly investigate the effects of social media on mothers' psychological well-being, including levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, extending to exploring the relationship between postmodern mothers' use of social media and their family organization.