Evaluation of Digital Media Usage of Women Through Motherhood Models As a Cultural Ideology

Widespread use of internet and mobilization of digital means of communication came with several transformations in the social structure. One of the most important transformation in this sense is individuals, starting to participate in digital communication by utilizing digital communication tools. As digital content, generated in these media are shared and popularised, readers with access to this content come up with new information or suggestions, which are related to their parenting roles and can make use of said content according to their needs. In this regard, investigating the digital transformation of the communication of parents with each other, as well as that with their children based on the mothering role, which is not independent of the cultural codes of social structure, is considered to be important. Since motherhood is not only an act of giving birth, but also a social role with cultural implications attached; revealing the differentiation in individual tendencies to use digital communication media according to the mothering model they adopt is also important. To that end, this study aims to investigate maternity roles and how women, who assume this role participate in digital communication processes, thus understanding the cultural transformation, which is also a by-product of digital communication process. In line with this objective, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were carried out with 16 mothers, who adopted 2 different mothering roles (gendered talent/conscious collaboration) determined by Cowdery and Knudson-Martin (2005). Questions, aimed at revealing the mothers’ tendencies of utilizing digital communication tools, using social media applications and mobile applications, as well as questions to determine the mothering model of selection by the participants were asked in these interviews. Consequently, the study found that the age range of children is a determinant in the way, in which mothers use digital communication tools, and women, who adopt mothering as collaboration, use both their social media accounts and mobile applications more actively, compared to women, who assume the other mothering role. This study is thought to carry significance in terms of evaluating women’s practices, which are categorized as ‘motherhood models’, based on the duties and responsibilities that are shouldered within the family, over involvement in and utilization of digital communication settings.

Widespread use of internet and mobilization of digital means of communication came with several transformations in the social structure. One of the most important transformation in this sense is individuals, starting to participate in digital communication by utilizing digital communication tools. As digital content, generated in these media are shared and popularised, readers with access to this content come up with new information or suggestions, which are related to their parenting roles and can make use of said content according to their needs. In this regard, investigating the digital transformation of the communication of parents with each other, as well as that with their children based on the mothering role, which is not independent of the cultural codes of social structure, is considered to be important. Since motherhood is not only an act of giving birth, but also a social role with cultural implications attached; revealing the differentiation in individual tendencies to use digital communication media according to the mothering model they adopt is also important. To that end, this study aims to investigate maternity roles and how women, who assume this role participate in digital communication processes, thus understanding the cultural transformation, which is also a by-product of digital communication process. In line with this objective, semi-structured face-to-face interviews were carried out with 16 mothers, who adopted 2 different mothering roles (gendered talent/conscious collaboration) determined by Cowdery and Knudson-Martin (2005). Questions, aimed at revealing the mothers’ tendencies of utilizing digital communication tools, using social media applications and mobile applications, as well as questions to determine the mothering model of selection by the participants were asked in these interviews. Consequently, the study found that the age range of children is a determinant in the way, in which mothers use digital communication tools, and women, who adopt mothering as collaboration, use both their social media accounts and mobile applications more actively, compared to women, who assume the other mothering role. This study is thought to carry significance in terms of evaluating women’s practices, which are categorized as ‘motherhood models’, based on the duties and responsibilities that are shouldered within the family, over involvement in and utilization of digital communication settings.