{"id":624469,"date":"2026-04-24T01:02:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T01:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/624469\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T01:02:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T01:02:10","slug":"seeing-less-perfect-momfluencer-content-on-social-media-may-help-mothers-struggling-with-shame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/624469\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeing less perfect momfluencer content on social media may help mothers struggling with shame"},"content":{"rendered":"

New mothers<\/a> have enough to deal with – and then they open social media<\/a> with momfluencers<\/a> posting heavily curated content about their perfect lives and children<\/a> to millions, often with a promotional angle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s doing damage<\/a> to some mothers\u2019 mental health, researchers from the University of Nebraska\u2013Lincoln warn \u2014 but their new study<\/a> offers a solution.<\/p>\n

A \u201cdose of reality\u201d can reduce shame and mitigate bad feelings mothers may develop when they see a feed full of idealized posts, the researchers say.<\/p>\n

The findings could help mothers make better decisions about who they follow on social media, raise awareness about the impact of a momfluencer-heavy feed on their brains and expose work that platforms could do to help reduce harmful effects.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think these results show that platforms need to do more to avoid the echo chambers that people find themselves in,\u201d scholar Ciera Kirkpatrick said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cFor moms who are on social media, it’s very easy for them to get into these traps of just seeing idealized content.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Seeing<\/p>\n

Seeing Momfluencer content can harm mothers\u2019 health \u2014 especially new moms. But researchers say they have solutions to help reduce negative impacts (Getty Images\/iStock)<\/p>\n

\u201cIf algorithms worked differently to try to bring more diversity to what people see, that would be helpful,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

The problem with invisible DJs<\/p>\n

Right now, algorithms choose the posts people see on their apps based on their browsing history. They\u2019re like an \u201cinvisible DJ,\u201d University of Alabama social media expert and associate professor of marketing Parker Woodroof said in a post<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n

But that can create echo chambers that researchers at the University of Rochester say<\/a> are a design choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross a series of experiments, we find that what people see online does influence their beliefs, often pulling them closer to the views they are repeatedly exposed to,\u201d Adiba Mahbub Proma<\/a>, a computer science PhD student at the university, said in February. \u201cBut when algorithms incorporate more randomization, this feedback loop weakens. Users are exposed to a broader range of perspectives and become more open to differing views.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Kirkpatrick says her findings don\u2019t mean forgoing social media altogether until algorithms change.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don’t have to tell moms they can’t be on social media at all,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Postpartum depression<\/p>\n

Her tests using a simulated social media feed with videos she curated showed that some mothers only idealized content and others saw a mix of content.<\/p>\n

Mothers who saw only idealized posts reported feeling significantly more shame and lower positive emotion overall \u2014 although anxiety levels were not reduced in the mothers who saw both kinds of posts.<\/p>\n

Idealized posts have also been found to increase anxiety levels and reduce confidence in parenting abilities.<\/p>\n

“It’s very problematic, because social media really idealizes motherhood,\u201d said Kirkpatrick. \u201cThere’s a strong relationship between shame and postpartum depression.\u201d<\/p>\n

Postpartum depression has risen among new mothers in the U.S. in recent years, with the rate seven times higher in 2015 than in 2000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One in eight women with a recent live birth reported symptoms of postpartum depression, according to the latest federal research<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Postpartum<\/p>\n

Postpartum depression has risen among new mothers in the U.S., and one in eight women with a recent live birth now report symptoms (Getty Images\/iStock)<\/p>\n

And mental health conditions are the leading cause<\/a> of pregnancy-related death in America, with 23 percent of deaths a week to a year after pregnancy attributed to a mental health condition.<\/p>\n

Mental health among mothers has declined since 2016, researchers<\/a> at the University of Michigan and Columbia University in New York say.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why updated guidance from doctors and therapists could be helpful, Kirkpatrick says, including content highlighting the downsides of social media for mothers and sharing strategies for healthier use.<\/p>\n

Postpartum screenings could include questions about how much time mothers spend online and whether they notice changes in how they feel after using social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be beneficial, and I hope to do a future study on it, if health care providers could utilize social media and post content so that the mothers are finding the information where they\u2019re already at, in their feeds,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n