Social networks can be great allies when we are moms. We can use them to find and connect with other mothers like us, take some inspiration for our next children's party or read various tips about motherhood.
However, also they could affect the way we feel about our performance as mothers and make us feel insecure.
A recent study was devoted to monitoring new parents during the transition from pregnancy to the first year of their children's life. The mothers and fathers who participated in the study were asked about their use of Facebook and other social networks during the first months as parents.
Although the same questions were asked of mothers and fathers, it was quickly found that it is they who spent more time on social networks and that They are primarily responsible for posting photos of their children.
AdvertisingOne of his first discoveries was that mothers who cared more because others validated their work as mothers and who hoped they were "perfect mothers" were more active on Facebook. It was found that they they showed stronger emotional reactions when their children's photos received more or less "likes" and comments than they expected.
They then focused the study to investigate whether there was a relationship between Facebook and elevated depression symptoms during the first four months as mothers. The results showed that the greater the use of social networks, indirectly increased the symptoms of depression of mothers seeking the acceptance of others. It was also found that the activity on Facebook was related with high levels of stress in new mothers about their maternal performance.
This is very important because most of us can fall for comparison. We must remember that motherhood is not as seen in social networks, that what we see is only part of a mother's day. A day in which perhaps in addition to that beautiful photo there were tantrums, tears, perhaps even stress and many other things.
Social networks set us very high expectations and that can make us feel insecure as mothers or fathers. But let's always keep in mind that What really matters is that our children and we are happy, and that our work as parents does not need the validation of people who may not even know us.
