Mothers turn to digital spaces for assistance and distraction

Article by Paola Flores-Marquez  | Nov 26, 2024
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Mothers turn to digital spaces for assistance and distraction
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Topics
Mothers
Social Media Usage
Consumer Behavior
United States

The average age of new mothers was 27.4 in 2022, meaning they are digitally native, per the CDC. They are more familiar with the internet and digital devices than previous generations. They’ve embraced these tools to help navigate motherhood.

The Majority of Mothers Who Gave Birth in 2022 Were Ages 25-34 (average births in the calendar year among every thousand US women, by age, 2022)
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Mothers spend an average of 4:04 a day using the internet, according to a January 2024 survey by Edison Research. This is up from 3:34 in 2018, with social media playing a prominent role.

  • More than 93% of mothers use social media compared with 69.7% of all women, per our forecast. Social media is a major source of community support for mothers. Among millennial and Gen Z mothers, 46.3% turn to local community groups and online forums for assistance, according to a spring 2024 survey by Momcozy and Postpartum Support International. In contrast, stylized social media videos expose new mothers to idealized portrayals of motherhood, which can lead to increased anxiety and envy, according to a March 2024 study by University of Nebraska–Lincoln scholar Ciera Kirkpatrick.
  • Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram are the leading platforms among mothers. Facebook and Facebook Messenger have had the highest number of unique visitors among mothers every month for the last year, according to Comscore’s MMX Multi-Platform. Facebook has become a major hub of knowledge-sharing through community groups. “Super Definitely Average Moms” has roughly 14,700 members around the world. But local neighborhood groups are increasingly popular for getting advice, arranging playdates, and offering recommendations.
Mothers' Facebook and Messenger Time Spent Is More Than Double Their Time on TikTok (thousands of total minutes spent per month on social media among US mothers, by platform, Sep 2024)
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  • Pinterest is particularly popular among mothers for providing inspiration on topics like crafts, decor, recipes, fashion, and shopping. Pinterest has nearly twice the reach among mothers compared with the total digital population (64.7% versus 31.9%), and use among mothers has increased in terms of unique visitors and time spent in the last year, according to Comscore’s MMX Multi-Platform. Bailey of BSM Media noted, “Pinterest is most important for moms. They’re searching for solutions, and it’s a solutions-based platform, like ‘top five birthday gifts’ or ‘DIY Halloween costume.’”
Moms' Pinterest Use Remains Strong Despite Fluctuations Throughout the Past Year (thousands of unique visitors and thousands of total minutes spent per month on Pinterest among US mothers, Sep 2023-Sep 2024)
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  • Mom-centered subreddits provide direction and a space to vent. Groups like r/Parenting (7.7 million members), r/Mommit (2.3 million), and r/beyondthebump (724,000) are in the top 1% of subreddits by size. Posts range from general questions for the community (“Did you swaddle your newborn to sleep?”) to personal disclosures they feel uncomfortable sharing without anonymity (“Regret for leaving my career”).

Read the full report, US Mothers 2024.

 

Report by Paola Flores-Marquez Nov 22, 2024
US Mothers 2024