A Modern Mama is smart. A Modern Mama is fast. A Modern Mama is social.
SMART because we have so much information at the tips of our fingers.
FAST because we can literally get anything delivered to our house, increasing our multitasking.
SOCIAL because we are constantly connected to someone through our cellphones and social media.
And while all of these are positive things, they have also made being a Modern Mama so difficult.
So it’s technology that makes us a Modern Mama. We live in a world saturated with technology, and have to find ways for it to help us while avoiding ones that hurt us.
Social Media. Let’s deconstruct this well-known term. Social – a term that is synonymous with community, friendship, and belonging to a group. Now, media is the form of mass communication. So these terms together bring to mind a sense of companionship. And while social media can be such an amazing tool as modern mama, it is a double-edged sword.
I recently listened to this podcast about how it’s been proven that talking with someone through text or messaging has a completely different affect on people than hearing their voice, like having a phone conversation. Oxytocin is actually released in similar amounts when someone calls you as it would if they were to be physically touching you (like a hug or holding your hand). So, as modern mamas, we are missing out on this highly-personal, chemical affect that every generation before us had. You can hear more about this at the podcast here: https://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/647117828/bonus-leave-a-message.
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“… we just have to remember that the way we connect with people has changed, but the old way isn’t lost. ”
I’m not saying that every generation before us wasn’t smart, or fast, or strong. Because in fact, they were. As we get our smart ideas and in-depth knowledge of babies online, previous mamas talked with other mothers and doctors in person. And just as we are fast because we can order groceries and have them in 2 hours, allowing us to complete other important tasks, previous mamas worked together to get things done and helped each other with childcare. Finally, just as we are social because we are always connecting with someone through messages or texts, those mamas before us had the in-person community that is so vital to motherhood.
This Modern Mama is incredible, really. We have lost the sense of community that mothers before us always had, and it makes motherhood near impossible some days. But just as we start to think that all hope is lost, we just have to remember that the way we connect with people has changed, but the old way isn’t lost. We can still take that extra step to call our friends and family, and make the effort to get together in person with other mothers. It’s only when we lose that goal that we have to ask ourselves, are we really connecting?