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From reporter (and mom) Adrienne Mand Lewin
When it comes to relying on the Web for information, I am far from a novice. I’m a journalist who has spent most of my career writing and reporting online. I frequently make purchases from large retailers, and I’ve bought and sold things on Craigslist. I don’t know how I got through life before there was Google.
Yet when I needed insight regarding my two young kids, the last place I turned to was the Web.
Sure, when I was pregnant I faithfully read sites like BabyCenter and iVillage and found them to be really helpful. But despite all the Web sites, blogs and groups devoted to being a parent, I didn’t think it would be for me. I pictured a world of judgment, snarky comments and criticism, where in anonymity strangers would feel free to offer their opinions in a way that the common courtesy of a conversation at the playground excludes. No, thanks.
What I found in reporting my story about motherhood and community for the TODAYMoms.com launch was actually the opposite. Women are finding support, comfort and friendship among their online peers that supplement their real-world relationships, and in some cases fill a void that those can’t offer. A lot of moms are taking their correspondences offline and making friends they wouldn’t have met if they hadn’t replied to someone’s question or post. And just the feeling of not being alone in their experiences as mothers is reassuring for many.
I don’t know that I’ll become the most active member of any groups or loyal reader of a particular blog. But next time one of my little guys does something strange that I’m sure no other child has ever done, chances are I won’t hesitate to look to other moms in cyberspace who can tell me what’s up. What about you?
Read Adrienne's full article, Motherhood 2.0: It takes an (online) village, on TODAYshow.com.
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Leave a Comment:
I can say without a doubt I love blogs, more so because I'm a "mom blogger" myself. The community and support I've found through blogs is amazing. It's comforting to know there are thousands of women living my life and understand the struggles and accomplishments I face.
Adrienne, thanks so much for sharing your own personal experience while doing research for your story. I absolutely love that there's such an extensive online community for moms. I think at every stage of motherhood there are moments when what's happening to you feels so darn isolating. And to have the internet and online communities to turn to is just awesome. The other thing that I really like is that you can choose to participate in conversations or not. There were times when I was dealing with my postpartum and needed to find out if I was normal. At the time I turned to the internet and found solace in hearing other stories but wasn't ready to share mine. For me that was powerful.
I was in the same boat when I got pregnant, too. I'm in my 20s and I've grown up with technology as a source of information. But I thought that would be different when it came to pregnancy and then parenting. But I've discovered that as a young mom who doesn't have many close friends with babies, the internet has given me a support group of women that I would not have been able to reach out to had I not been part of the online community.
I started my blog, Confessions of a Young Married Couple, a year before having a baby was even a passing thought in my head. It was a way to journal the first few years of my marriage. But when I became pregnant, my readers grew from strangers on the internet to trusted friends across the world. Now, I get parenting advice and feedback from all over the US and far away places, too. Hearing what other mothers are going through gives me the confidence to push forward in my own family.
What did we do before Google????
I have been blogging for over 10 years before the term "blog" was even around, I think. It has been an incredible outlet for me, although I admit I would go through spurts over the years.
Currently I have a blog that I started when my youngest daughter was born and subsequently diagnosed with a very rare and life-limiting disease. The support and information I have found since having my online blog has almost been a lifeline for me, as it has introduced me to so many wonderful people, including other moms of children with rare diseases.
I am a mom of two boys. I have always been a deal seeker! I started a blog to share all of my favorite deals and printable coupons with other moms and individuals. I update it on a daily basis, so you will always find new money saving coupons and tips. http://www.SavingQueen.com
I am quite isolated where I am and I know a lot of moms are too either due to location or simply because they are unable to get out as much. I love the blogging community and while I still have my IRL (in real life) friends, I have made lasting and fabulous friendships through my blog and the others that I visit.
Unfortunately there are blogs that fit the quote from this article: "pictured a world of judgment, snarky comments and criticism, where in anonymity strangers would feel free to offer their opinions in a way that the common courtesy of a conversation at the playground excludes." Some blogs enjoy being like this and have a huge following because of it - to each his own I suppose.
But I think that those moms are missing out on really helping other moms and stopping the stereotyping that people do in regards to "mommy bloggers." When that term became a bad word, I don't know. But I love what I do and I love the people I am doing it with.