Young Mothers' Media Use

Although the effects of social media usage on the individual has been studied, the specific impact of social media use on young mothers has not directly been examined in a parenting context. The aim of this literature review was to explore the impact social media has on a young mother's parenting, with regard to their involvement and interaction with their child (ren). The variables associated with young mother's parenting and social media usage are parenting stress, parenting style, maternal satisfaction, and psychological well-being. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criterion and specifically examined social media usage by mothers. Results revealed an indirect relationship among parenting stress and the participation in social media sites. Mothers who used social media sites were likely to experience less parenting stress and more likely to build a social support system, however, higher rates of social media usage increased parenting stress. The results indicated that social media could potentially enhance or decrease mother-child interaction. The interaction is enhanced when mothers use social media for informative parental information. The mother-child interaction is decreased when mothers spend more time online and neglect childcare or household duties. As the cyberworld is constantly growing, this literature review aids in building a foundation for future research on young mothers' social media usage and parenting.