Sacred children, self-sacrificing mothers: Instagram’s idealized parenting culture

Instagram mothers, a subgroup of social media influencers, have become key figures in shaping parenting practices and societal views on motherhood. This study aims to explore how Instagram mothers perceive and portray motherhood, focusing on seven public, motherhood-focused Instagram accounts. Media representations of mothers have historically shaped and continue to shape societal expectations and personal experiences of motherhood. These portrayals shape how maternal identity, parenting approaches, and priorities are understood, while also reinforcing broader cultural norms of motherhood. Employing grounded theory, the captions of Instagram posts are examined. As a result, two main themes emerged: “Child through the eyes of parents” and “motherhood through the eyes of mothers.” The findings show that Instagram mothers describe their children as sacred and central to their lives, requiring constant attention and care. They adopt intensive mothering practices, where their children’s intellectual, emotional, and social development is their primary focus, often at the expense of their own needs. This approach aligns with societal expectations, reinforcing the idea that motherhood requires self-sacrifice. The results are discussed from feminist perspectives, drawing on theories of intensive mothering and matricentric feminism to contextualize mothers’ experiences.