“Let me know when I’m needed”: Exploring the gendered nature of digital technology use for health information seeking during the transition to parenting

Abstract

This paper presents results of a qualitative descriptive study conducted to understand parents’ experiences with digital technologies during their transition to parenting (i.e. the period from pre-conception through postpartum). Individuals in southwest Ontario who had become a new parent within the previous 24 months were recruited to participate in a focus group or individual interview. Participants were asked to describe the type of technologies they/their partner used during their transition to parenthood, and how such technologies were used to support their own and their family's health. Focus group and interview transcripts were then subjected to thematic analysis using inductive coding. Ten focus groups and three individual interviews were conducted with 26 heterosexual female participants. Participants primarily used digital technologies to: (1) seek health information for a variety of reproductive health issues, and (2) establish social and emotional connections. The nature of such health information work was markedly gendered and was categorized by 2 dominant themes. First, “‘Let me know when I’m needed’”, characterizes fathers’ apparent avoidance of health information seeking and resultant creation of mothers as lay information mediaries. Second, “Information Curation”, captures participants’ belief that gender biases built-in to popular parenting apps and resources reified the gendered nature of health and health information work during the transition to parenting. Overall, findings indicate that digital technology tailored to new and expecting parents actively reinforced gender norms regarding health information seeking, which creates undue burden on new mothers to become the sole health information seeker and interpreter for their family.

Lack of alternative: Chinese first-time mothers’ construction of social support network of online secondary groups

“…The study resonates with existing research on the important support that online communities can have for new mothers. 7,27,32,33,36,60 Different from other studies, this study reveals the dynamic changes of first-time mothers in constructing online secondary social support networks. The study finds that the parenting process is highly fluid, and new mothers face different challenges at different stages of parenting, so they try their best to join various types of childraising online communities and make full use of various "outside help" and "self-help" to find a variety of highquality child raising online communities.…”

“…The study resonates with existing research on the important support that online communities can have for new mothers. 7 , 27 , 32 , 33 , 36 , 60 …”

Social Media Use Among Parents and Women of Childbearing Age in the US

“…The Pew Research Center provided a snapshot of social media use among US adults in 2021 and documented higher rates of use among younger adults and differences by gender (8). However, the report did not describe social media use patterns at specific stages in the life course, nor among parents or women who may become pregnant, people whose social media use patterns may change (9).…”

‘Putting all my eggs into the app’: Self, relational and systemic surveillance of mothers’ use of digital technologies during the transition to parenting

“…Participants in this study not only accessed health information from recognized research and clinical experts through their clinical encounters but also accessed through social media platforms and online apps. 1 They also appreciated and sought information created by other parents and especially mothers’ groups who shared their pragmatic expertise on many of the issues and challenges that are part of the transition to parenting journey. The diversity of content and content contributors to health and health-related online social media platforms and apps opens up important conversations related to our understanding of health information experts and evidence.…”

“…A co-parent or family member may take an interest in the decisions being made during the transition to parenting; however, primarily it is mothers who are expected to retrieve, understand and act upon increasingly sophisticated information about health issues and health care. 1 , 2 In digital spaces, this undertaking for mothers takes place within a landscape of intensifying surveillance of the self and others. 3 …”