Is this too bold? Are we ready to have this conversation?
It is too late to ask either of these questions as it is past 10 pm and I am snuggled up in bed with my laptop, my shih-tzu Fernando, and husband (who’s snores are quiet literally the most relaxing background..no sarcasm, I am dead serious lol)
I was found myself deep in thought today while cooking dinner. My brain was going down all the list of all the ways social media has turned motherhood into an aesthetic, one that has evolved into a destructive monster in my opinion.
Moms get on social media in search of an outlet and supplemental income (no judgement here in that regard) and end up selling their children childhoods for the chance of internet fame.
I was born in 1992 and the bulk of my childhood was pre social media days. I did not grow up with a mom who did Tiktok dances in the living room or recorded my siblings every move. I was never apart of brand deals or lived life fearing the next vlog day. I certainly was not thrown grandiose birthday parties that cost more than most peoples car payments just so my parent could feel like they were keeping up with the Jones’.
Where did we leave wholesome family posts and transition into selling out our children’s childhoods? When did social media stop being a place to freely share our lives and start becoming a place of competition and comparison.
The damage that social media has had on motherhood has yet to be seen in its entirety but I would bet it is going to be catastrophic.
We have traded in gratitude for comparison.
We have traded slow living for 2 day prime shipping.
We have traded connection for doom scrolling.
And for what?
A chance at winning 5 seconds of fame.
Children need present mothers who are invested in their wellbeing, not $700 birthday parties. Children need homes that are not ran by adults who are so self focused on their own ambitions that the ability to be seen and heard does not exist, not partaking in brand deals to help support the family.
In so many ways we have improved as a society in comparison to generations past. But this area, we have utterly failed.
Motherhood is magical. It is an opportunity to slow down and soak in the small things. Social media, however, sells an idea that motherhood needs to be large, expensive, and over the top.
I want to wrap this up with a question. What was the most memorable moments in your childhood? Were they big things or small things made more magical by the presence of those who loved you?
For me, it is the small things. The moments where I felt seen, safe, and loved.
May we forget our phones a little bit more. May we stop striving and start living. Motherhood and childhood are truly gifts from God. Don’t let strangers on the internet convince you to move so fast that you miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.
