Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2001 Scholarly Paper Final
2001 Scholarly Paper Final
Trent University
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN POSTPARTUM PARENTS 2
With a societal shift to an increasingly technologically advanced world, there has also
been an increased use of social media among parents (Haslam, Tee & Baker, 2017; Morris, 2014;
Niela-Vilén, Axelin, Salanterä & Melender, 2014). Social media is an umbrella term for internet-
based platforms or tools that allow people to interact, create, and share information with others
(Carr & Hayes, 2015). Some social media platforms used by parents include: Facebook, Youtube
(Morris, 2014; Walker et al., 2017), Twitter, blogs (Morris, 2014), and Instagram (Carr & Hayes,
2015). It is well established that becoming a parent can be hard and requires a lot of support
systems (Aston et al., 2018; Ay, Tektaş, Mak & Aktay, 2018; Barkin & Jani, 2016; Kumar, &
Schoenebeck, 2015; Price et al., 2018; Teaford, McNiesh & Goyal, 2019; Walker et al., 2017).
As more parents are seeking out information and support from social media (Asiodu, Waters,
Dailey, Lee & Lyndon, 2015; Barkin & Jani, 2016; Kumar, & Schoenebeck, 2015; Niela-Vilénet
al., 2014), it is important for health care providers (HCP) to first ensure parents are receiving
safe and reliable information and if it is acceptable to refer patients to these platforms (Barkin &
Jani, 2016; Haslam et al., 2017). Next, HCP must be sure that the reason parents are seeking
information from these platforms is not because of gaps in the healthcare system, and that the
gaps are not resulting in barriers such as accessibility or suitability of care (Aston et al., 2018).
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of social media on postpartum parents and its
Historically mothers were the sole caregivers of children, taking care of their emotional,
physical, and mental wellbeing while also maintaining the housework (Ammari & Schoenebeck,
2015). In the past mothers were faced with fewer supports, both economically and in regards to
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN POSTPARTUM PARENTS 3
support services (Kalil & Ryan, 2010). Additionally, mothers encountered stigma, public ridicule
or judgement, and shame in areas such as having a child out of wedlock (Wiegers & Chunn,
2015). It has become more socially acceptable today for moms to be single or have children out
of wedlock; this includes artificial insemination and divorce/separation, etc. (Holmes, 2018).
Moms also have access to more family planning programs (Fehring, Schneider & Raviele, 2011),
and more prenatal and postpartum services due to the discovery of the internet (Barkin & Jani,
2016).
maintenance man, the authoritative/stern figure meant to keep order, and an absent or
emotionally unavailable individual within the family unit (Ammari & Schoenebeck, 2015).
However, a shift began with movements for employment equality, equity of housework
economics, and the abolishment of toxic masculinity (Ammari & Schoenebeck, 2015).
Employment equity means in spite of race, gender, sexuality, etc., individuals receive equal pay,
opportunities for job positions, and promotions ("Employment Equity Act", 2019). Equal
chores, and childcare (Zick, Bryant & Srisukhumbowornchai, 2008). Toxic masculinity refers to
the perpetuated social ideals of gender roles that involve ideas such as aggression, dominance,
restricting emotional expression, etc. (Parent, Gobble & Rochlen, 2018). Following these
movements, fathers have become increasingly involved in housework and childcare (Ammari &
Schoenebeck, 2015).
Both parents were historically limited to the resources available where they lived and the
people they knew, such as kin, companions, and HCP, for educational and emotional support
during pregnancy and postpartum (Aston et al., 2018; Niela-Vilén et al., 2014). This can create
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN POSTPARTUM PARENTS 4
barriers to health for various reasons, such as those who do not have well-established support
systems or access to transit (Aston et al., 2018). However, social media can help individuals
build and grow their social support networks by being available to a wide variety of people,
across vast distances, and at any given time (Niela-Vilénet al., 2014).
Lens Analysis
The critical feminist lens will be used to examine any power imbalances present
regarding the parental use of social media support groups. Firstly, in spite of the previously
mentioned shift with regards to more father involvement in child rearing, the role of the father
continues to be under-recognized within society and online support groups, which is highlighted
by the continuous focus of online support groups towards mothers (Niela-Vilénet al., 2014).
However, a few studies have stated that though there is more paternal involvement, mothers
continue to be disproportionately in charge of childcare, which may account for the continued
focus of online support groups towards mothers (Ammari & Schoenebeck, 2015; Kumar, &
towards mothers is creating a gender bias, which often excludes men from valuable supports
(Terakita, 2012). In some cases the bias can be attributed to the lack of inclusive language, for
example if a group is specifically called "mommy and me" intrapersonally (internally) a father
may not feel welcomed or he may question if he could relate well to everyone in the group, since
it has been gendered toward women and their children (Terakita, 2012).
Secondly, the interpersonal critical feminist lens considers the power imbalances that
may form a barrier between people and result in seeking information online. Some parents have
stated that they feel uncomfortable asking their HCP certain questions regarding topics such as
sex so they ask online where they feel less judged (Aston et al., 2018). HCP are educated and
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN POSTPARTUM PARENTS 5
have a lot of power in relation to mothers that must be recognized (Price et al., 2018). Parents
often expressed that they fear HCP considering them incompetent or judging their choices in
areas such as co-sleeping (Aston et al., 2018). Parents often felt more comfortable seeking advice
and information from fellow parents who were perceived to be on an equal power level and had
the experiential expertise with regards to children, resulting in a decreased feeling of persecution
(Aston et al., 2018; Haslam et al., 2017; Niela-Vilénet al., 2014). The information given by their
peers was more geared towards their needs (Haslam et al., 2017) and reaffirmed that their
feelings or experiences were common (Aston et al., 2018; Niela-Vilénet al., 2014).
Lastly, when examining the contextual aspects of social media support groups with a
critical feminist lens, the social constructs that are perpetuated about parenthood and what makes
a good parent should be considered. In today's society, there is often unrealistic expectations
regarding parenthood due to ads and social media, which can include ideas like ‘parenting is
easy' or ‘is always fulfilling’ (Kumar, & Schoenebeck, 2015; Price et al., 2018). These ideals and
a fear of being judged can create pressure for moms to only present the ideal family situation on
social media and refrain from asking for help; it can also create unease in mothers who are not
reaching these societal standards, which can be perpetuated if they are continuously confronted
by the standards on these support platforms or by the people in these groups (Kumar, &
Schoenebeck, 2015). In contrast, a study by Johnson (2015) found that social media can provide
a safe platform for new parents to seek out validation and confirmation that they are not the only
ones experiencing hardships in parenting and that through interactions on social media platforms
parents can create more realistic expectations. Parents using social media supports can also pick
and choose the platforms or pages they wish to follow, which groups they are active in, whether
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN POSTPARTUM PARENTS 6
they post/what they post, or they can seek out information without actually posting, therefore
maintaining their autonomy and avoiding the fear of being judged (Haslam et al., 2017).
There are both positive and negative aspects of social media use on the health of its
consumers. Parents with online support and internet use have access to a lot of information
regarding health (Barkin & Jani, 2016). Some of the commonly searched topics include: child's
health, postpartum recovery, available support groups, health concerns (ie. postpartum
depression and miscarriage), developmental milestones (Barkin & Jani, 2016; Price et al., 2018 ),
and breastfeeding (Asiodu et al., 2015). One negative aspect of social media is that parents often
encounter information from one source that contradicts information from another. (Aston et al.,
2018; Barkin & Jani, 2016). This conflicting advice can often trigger parents to further research
the topic, until they settle on an answer that fits their philosophies, morals, or family dynamic
(Aston et al., 2018). Some mothers feel capable of negotiating information pertinent to their
baby’s health and their own, while others feel inundated, uneasy, and confused by the conflicting
information (Aston et al., 2018). With conflicting information comes the concern of HCP about
the credibility of the health advice parents are receiving, from platforms such as Facebook that
do not have as much control over the quality of information being shared (Haslam et al., 2017).
HCP must be conscious of this issue and make the parent aware that there is a lot of false
information on the internet; HCP must also assess if parents feel comfortable discerning reliable
safe information from the false (Haslam et al., 2017). HCP can arrange programs to help teach
parents how to recognize evidence-based information, and they can also compile a list of
credible health sites or forums the parents can seek information from (Barkin & Jani, 2016).
HCP can consider creating platforms run by professionals where people can ask questions about
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN POSTPARTUM PARENTS 7
correct information but not have to interact face to face, such as a facebook support group run by
nurses or doctors (Price et al., 2018). Social media also had positive impacts on moms’ health by
allowing them be more informed, connected, validated, supported, and reassured by their peers
(Barkin & Jani, 2016; Price et al., 2018). Social media also helped mothers improve their
confidence in their parenting skills, emotional health/state (Haslam et al., 2017; Niela-Vilénet al.,
2014), and overall it created a safe space to discuss uncomfortable or taboo topics (Johnson,
2015). In spite of there being less online supports for fathers, the ones that do exist have resulted
in fathers feeling supported in navigating a new standard of being an active father, thus
challenging the perpetuated ideal that dads do not know how to care for children, or that they
may be more involved but are not the sole caregivers (Ammari & Schoenebeck, 2015).
Culture influences social media use immensely, which in turn affects the way that
educate parents about infant health; however, this type of education is not currently being used to
its full potential (Asiodu et al., 2015). Asiodu et al.’s (2015) findings suggest that future
interventions geared more specifically toward African American parents should include social
media approaches. The study showed that participants of diverse backgrounds accessed their
postpartum information differently, and not everyone turned to social media for this information
(Asiodu et al., 2015). While there are many cultures that do not use social media as an initial
destination for information, there is a large number of cultures that do. Cultures inclined to
access online resources, such as Canadians, often have their electronics readily available and
initially looks to social media for the knowledge they are seeking (Shensa et al., 2015). This
trend toward accessing online information is new and is becoming increasingly common in
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN POSTPARTUM PARENTS 8
today’s culture (Haslam et al., 2017). Parents use social media to connect with other families that
have experience with children, in order to gain information and connect or share experiences
with other families. “From 2005-2013 [...] social media use has increased from 9 to 90%” (Pew
Research Center, 2014, p.541), which has created opportunities for connectedness, support, and
Social determinants of health can greatly influence and alter the way new parents access
postpartum information. One of the greatest social determinants that impacts social media use is
income. Being lower income can result in less social media use and diminished access to online
health information (Perrin & Duggan, 2015). This is supported by Perrin and Duggan (2015)
where they found that individuals with a lower household income use the Internet less than
higher income groups (Perrin & Duggan, 2015). Since low income mothers are less likely to
access social media for supports, they are “more likely to use interpersonal sources of
information” (Song et al., 2013, p.824). Women of lower income may have a greater difficulty
acquiring information from online sources because internet and the technology needed to access
it are expensive commodities (Song et al., 2013). The majority of low-income families do not
have the money and resources to access these online information sources, so instead they look to
their interpersonal relationships for the experiential knowledge of their peers with children (Song
et al., 2013). It has been shown in Guerra-Reyes et al (2016) study that having access to online
platforms that support postpartum parents are essential for information and counselling in
regards to caring for their children. These parents often have a pattern of short bursts of
searching while multitasking due to the shortened time frame they have to inquire for
information (Guerra-Reyes et al., 2016). This pattern is important in low income families
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN POSTPARTUM PARENTS 9
because they are constantly focusing on multiple tasks at once; such as taking care of their child,
or working part time to support their family. Due to a shortened time frame to search the internet,
reliable information must be easily accessible and readily understood (Guerra-Reyes et al.,
2016).
The 5 C’s of nursing were developed to assist health care professionals to fully
understand and to be able to empathize with the needs of their patients (Doane & Varcoe, 2015).
They are used to create better relationships, improve the providence of care, and create enhanced
work environments (Doane & Varcoe, 2015). The 5 C’s are commitment, corresponding,
competence, compassion and curiosity (Doane & Varcoe, 2015). All of these are very important
aspects in the administration of care to patients, but the two main points associated with social
media use and postpartum families is compassion and curiosity. To be compassionate, you are
between equals sharing various experiences, and its goal is to be fully immersed in the condition
of being human (Doane & Varcoe, 2015). Curiosity is about being interested or open to
uncertainty, and constantly questioning what is occurring or looking for answers to these
questions. ‘Not knowing’ is the path to knowledgeable and compassionate care (Doane &
Varcoe, 2015). Being curious and compassionate are great assets when assisting families
especially in understanding how these parents may be accessing their information, the fear they
may feel due to the information overload, or if and why they may not feel adequately prepared
(Weston et al., 2019). Some common negative feeling parents have encountered include; stress,
isolation, and frustration (George, 2005; Cheng et al., 2006; Kanotra et al., 2007). It has been
said that we are “drowning in information but starving for knowledge” (Weston et al., 2019,
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN POSTPARTUM PARENTS 10
p.94). Nurses need to understand that these families are in a very overwhelming and stressful
time in their lives and be as compassionate and understanding as possible when caring for these
families. Nurses also need to be curious and constantly questioning where these families may
turn to for information when in need of knowledge. Nurses can educate families about how
“social media platforms can help supplement traditional knowledge” (Weston et al., 2019, p.94).
Nurses are challenged to “understand how to use social media, to shift their thinking and begin to
use digital tools appropriately to be able to educate clients and colleagues” (Balzer-Riley, 2017,
p.256). By nurses remaining curious and compassionate, it allows them to connect deeply with
their patients and also to stay on top of the current trend of how families are accessing
Families using social media for postpartum information has become more prevalent in
Canadian households. Many Canadians have adopted a more technologically inclined culture and
turn to social media to gather knowledge and answer their questions (Shensa et al., 2015). Many
Canadians prefer their information to be easily accessible to answer the questions that they have,
almost instantaneously, through social media (Shensa et al., 2015). As this trend increases in
Canadian society, Canadian nurses also have to ensure that they are maintaining competency and
are maximizing their knowledge regarding social media use for postpartum families. Social
media “has significant potential as a health communication and educational tool and may provide
a medium for the delivery of health-related services” (Benetoli et al., 2015, p. 2). Social media
usage for postpartum education has positive potential, but nurses must be constantly educating
themselves as well their patients regarding the benefits as well as the risks of using social media
as their source of information. “Although these platforms can supplement and enhance learning,
SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN POSTPARTUM PARENTS 11
it is important to realize that they cannot replace fundamental education and experience”
(Weston et al., 2019, p.94). Both Canadian families and nurses must be conscious that online
sources of postpartum information are amazing due to accessibility, but these social media
accounts must not replace other forms of accessing knowledge such as speaking with health care
Conclusion
Overall, there is both positive and negative as pects of social media use for parents
postpartum. The majority of parents felt that social media provided them with the support and
abilities to better care for themselves and their children. However, studies also showed that the
credibility and conflicting nature of some of the information parents received evoked anxiety and
confusion. This is a prominent concern for HCP and therefore should be a topic of education
with families, regarding the benefits and risks of using social media for information. HCP should
compile a list of reputable sites to give to parents to aid in their search of reliable information. It
should be noted that there is a lack of father support groups in comparison to mothers, and
References
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APA Title Title page, page numbers, running Brianna O’Halloran February
page head 6th
Brianna O’Halloran
Cassandra Delaney