Parenting Instagram accounts can make mothers feel supported, but also less competent

By Emily Reynolds Adjusting to parenting can be difficult for many new parents — particularly when it comes to judging their own competence or knowing whether or not they are doing the “right” thing. Subsequently, many new parents seek advice: from peers, family members, friends, and, increasingly, from social media. A new study, published in Acta Psychologica, explores the impact of parenting-related Instagram accounts on mothers. It finds a mixed experience: while mothers can feel supported by a community of fellow parents, they can also feel less competent when comparing themselves to others. Ida Egmose from the University of Copenhagen and colleagues recruited 270 mothers of one or more children. After completing demographic measures, the mothers were asked how much time, on average, they had spent on Instagram every day during the last week. Next, they indicated what sort of accounts they followed: “InstaParents” — that is, influencers who post about their experiences with parenting; professional accounts that share information about child development or parenting; or a university-run account about child development. If they did follow such accounts, they were asked how much they felt their posts negatively affected their feelings about their parental competence, and how much they felt supported by them. They also gave examples of how they felt negatively affected or supported. Finally, mothers indicated how much they compared th...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Babies Media Social Source Type: blogs