WorldWide Moms
posted by Lisa RobinsonTuesday, July 7th, 2009
Ever since Nielsen released its latest study on Moms and social networking, I have been mulling over the dramatic inflection point of motherhood. Motherhood, more than any other time in our lives, allows us to share the most intimate parts of our lives with total strangers. From walking in malls, to online communities, we solicit and provide advice like experts. A mother of a newborn with colic can suddenly become a support system for moms just beginning the process of, “why won’t she stop crying?” Social media, more than mommy groups, enables moms to hyper target communication with other moms at the exact ages and stages.
From breast feeding to the introduction of solids, to meals and playtimes, advice and laments hurtle through the web. I recently tweeted about my teenage daughters and babysitting, and received numerous, thoughtful comments on how to advice kids on what to charge, as well as a quick snapshot of acceptable rates across the country. We moms connect online, not only to seek advice and bridge the loneliness and often insanity that comes with motherhood, we connect because we trust one another. We value advice from strangers because motherhood takes away the unfamiliar and makes us a wonderful collective of aunts, sisters, mothers and friends. So when I tweet or blog about my latest travails of curfews and teen driving, I am not alone. I have the support and comfort of the collective Borg that is motherhood and I may be going crazy, but I am hardly alone.
