The master's thesis explores motherhood in contemporary society in relation to influencer culture, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of mom influencers. The aim of the thesis is to examine the impacts of influencer culture on motherhood today, how influencer culture represents motherhood, and how it affects mothers’ understanding and experience of their parental role. The topic is contextualized within the framework of social transformations of late modernity, the ideology of motherhood, the emergence of intensive and child-centric parenting, and highlights key aspects of motherhood in the digital age. Using a qualitative approach, six interviews were conducted with mothers of young children in Slovenia. The findings show that mom influencers often present unrealistic and idealized images of motherhood, which evoke feelings of pressure and self-doubt among mothers. Mothers perceive mom influencer content ambivalently: on one hand, it provides them with information, advice, and a sense of belonging and comfort; on the other hand, it creates pressure, especially when it sets unattainable standards. Influencer culture significantly shapes how women who consume such content experience motherhood. The content created by mom influencers often depicts an idealized form of motherhood. Results suggest that influencer culture plays a key role in shaping the identity of contemporary mothers, primarily through processes of social comparison and the internalization of ideals.
|
