Some New Moms Take Facebook Way Too Seriously

Nowadays, if you are not finding animal videos, memes, or weird news items popping up on your Facebook feed, you are seeing baby pictures or moments captured from toddler birthday parties.

One person who also notices this is Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, a Professor of Human Sciences and Psychology at Ohio State University, who decided to look into the trend of new mothers incessantly sharing photos of their children on Facebook.

For her study, Schoppe-Sullivan analyzed data provided by 127 participants and discovered that when a woman feels increased societal pressure to be a flawless mother or considers motherhood as the cornerstone of her existence, she is more likely to share child-related Facebook posts.

Meanwhile, the majority of mothers who participated in this research revealed that they have used a photo of their baby as their Facebook profile’s primary image, at one time or another.

As for mothers who desire external validation for their parental role, it was determined that they experienced significant emotional responses – be it positive, or negative – to how many times a baby-related post was ‘liked,’ or how it was commented on.

With that in mind, it’s not surprising that some of this study’s participants revealed that they experienced depressive symptoms nine months after giving birth – which is theoretically when the outside interest of new baby Facebook posts takes a bit of a dip.

That said, Schoppe-Sullivan’s study didn’t go on to conclude that a new mom’s increased Facebook presence and desire for acceptance absolutely leads to a state of depression. But, the Professor believes it’s a possibility.

“A lot of moms may feel pressured to portray this very positive image of motherhood,” commented Schoppe-Sullivan. “And if on the inside you’re not feeling that good, I think that could be detrimental.”

As Facebook continues to be a regular daily activity, it’s important to remember that the social media service is just an app and it by no means determines the value of you, or any children you may bring into the world.

After all, a child’s love is a trillion times more valuable than disposable likes and comments.

-Adam Grant