N. Bolzan
SOCIAL NETWORKS AS A PROBLEM FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF THE MOTHER IN MODERN SOCIETY
Abstract. The article examines social networks in terms of their impact on the psychological well-being of mothers. The relevance of the study is related to the rapid growth of the audience of social networks, including among mothers. Various scientific positions are considered: some researchers note the positive importance of social networks for enriching the experience and self-awareness of the mother, others point to the risks of constructing an exaggerated image of the “ideal mother” that does not correspond to reality. It is shown that the perception of such an image leads to excessive comparison, a sense of self-failure and the development of symptoms of depression and anxiety in mothers. The article also provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of social networks on the psychological well-being of mothers, taking into account socio-cultural differences in European countries, Western countries, Eastern countries and CIS countries. It was revealed that in European and Western countries, the image of a mother prevails, focused on self-realization and balance between personal life and parenting. In eastern countries, like Israel, on the contrary, the traditional image of motherhood is more relevant, due to the patriarchal model of society. In the CIS countries, there is a mixture of these trends, where the ideals of motherhood fluctuate between traditional and modern approaches. The study shows that social networks increase pressure on mothers in all the regions considered, promoting unattainable standards. This leads to an increase in cases of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem among mothers, especially when they compare their real life situations with idealized images on social media.
Keywords: social networks, mothers, psychological well-being, ideal mother, depression, anxiety, self-awareness.