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Journals / Communicata / 2026 / Sayı: 32

Generation Y Mothers’ Perceptions of Digital Motherhood: A Qualitative Study

Y Kuşağı Annelerinin Dijital Annelik Algıları: Nitel Bir İnceleme

Azra Kardelen Nazlı(MUSTAFA KEMAL UNIVERSITY)0000-0003-0565-1278
Sema Balta(HATAY MUSTAFA KEMAL UNIVERSITY)0009-0009-5527-1231
Pages
1–17
Publication Date
2026-09-04
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings reveal that participants perceive digital motherhood representations ambivalently.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:With the increasing centrality of digital media platforms in everyday life, motherhood has evolved from a private experience into a visible and socially negotiated identity in online environments.
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Key Findings & Data:This transformation has significantly influenced the perceptions and parenting practices of Generation Y mothers, who actively engage with social media.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings reveal that participants perceive digital motherhood representations ambivalently.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Dijital Annelik · Y Kuşağı Anneler · Sosyal Medyada Temsil

Abstract

With the increasing centrality of digital media platforms in everyday life, motherhood has evolved from a private experience into a visible and socially negotiated identity in online environments. This transformation has significantly influenced the perceptions and parenting practices of Generation Y mothers, who actively engage with social media. Digital motherhood representations circulating online construct norms and expectations through idealized discourses, shaping how mothers evaluate their experiences and emotions. This study examines the effects of digital motherhood representations on the perceptions, emotional experiences, and parenting practices of Generation Y mothers from a qualitative perspective. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 20 Generation Y mothers who encounter such representations on social media. Participants were selected using purposive sampling, and the data were analyzed through a deductive thematic analysis approach. The findings reveal that participants perceive digital motherhood representations ambivalently. Social media is seen as a space for accessing information, sharing experiences, and receiving emotional support. However, it also intensifies social comparison, reinforces “good mother” norms, and generates feelings of inadequacy and psychological pressure. Idealized and performance-oriented representations lead mothers to question their parenting practices and experience emotional strain. At the same time, participants demonstrate awareness of child privacy and sharenting practices and tend to establish conscious boundaries in digital parenting.

Özet

Günlük yaşamda dijital medya platformlarının artan merkeziyetiyle birlikte annelik, yalnızca özel bir deneyim olmaktan çıkarak çevrimiçi ortamlarda görünür ve toplumsal olarak müzakere edilen bir kimliğe dönüşmüştür. Bu dönüşüm, sosyal medyayı aktif kullanan Y kuşağı annelerinin algılarını ve ebeveynlik pratiklerini önemli ölçüde etkilemektedir. Çevrimiçi dolaşıma giren dijital annelik temsilleri, idealize edilmiş söylemler aracılığıyla belirli normlar ve beklentiler inşa etmekte; annelerin kendi deneyimlerini ve duygularını değerlendirme biçimlerini şekillendirmektedir. Bu çalışma, dijital annelik temsillerinin Y kuşağı annelerinin algıları, duygusal deneyimleri ve ebeveynlik pratikleri üzerindeki etkilerini nitel bir perspektifle incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma verileri, sosyal medyada bu temsillere maruz kalan 20 Y kuşağı anne ile gerçekleştirilen yarı yapılandırılmış derinlemesine görüşmeler yoluyla elde edilmiştir. Katılımcılar amaçlı örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilmiş, veriler tümdengelimsel tematik analiz ile çözümlenmiştir. Bulgular, katılımcıların dijital annelik temsillerini çift yönlü bir biçimde algıladığını göstermektedir. Sosyal medya, bilgi edinme, deneyim paylaşımı ve duygusal destek açısından önemli bir alan olarak görülmektedir. Ancak aynı zamanda sosyal karşılaştırmayı artıran, “iyi anne” normlarını pekiştiren ve yetersizlik ile psikolojik baskı duyguları yaratan bir ortam olarak değerlendirilmektedir. İdealize ve performans odaklı temsiller, annelerin ebeveynlik pratiklerini sorgulamalarına ve duygusal zorlanma yaşamalarına neden olmaktadır. Bununla birlikte katılımcılar, çocuk mahremiyeti ve “sharenting” konusunda yüksek farkındalık göstermekte ve dijital ebeveynlikte bilinçli sınırlar oluşturmaktadır. Genel olarak dijital annelik temsilleri, annelik deneyimlerini hem destekleyen hem de sınırlayan çok boyutlu etkiler üretmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Nazlı, A. K., Balta, S. (2026). Generation Y Mothers’ Perceptions of Digital Motherhood: A Qualitative Study. Communicata, Sayı: 32, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.32952/communicata.1922884

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