What is "wine mom" culture?
A social media trend portraying mothers who rely on alcohol to cope with the stresses of parenting.
Often uses hashtags like #winemom and groups with names like "Mommy Drinks Wine and Swears."
The Study
Psychologists Emily Lorenz and Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz investigated the impact of this trend on mothers' drinking.
330 mothers were shown social media posts associated with wine mom culture, sober mom messaging, and neutral content.
Participants reported on their drinking norms, social comparisons, and drinking habits.
Key Findings
Increased Perceived Acceptance: Mothers exposed to wine mom content felt greater social acceptance of drinking within their peer group.
Social Comparison's Power: Mothers who actively compare themselves to others (regardless of content viewed) believe drinking is more common among other mothers. This highlights the influence of wine mom discourse.
Identity Factor: Drinking identity (how much mothers define themselves as drinkers) didn't strongly influence how this social media content affected their perceptions. Motherhood may overshadow this aspect of their identity.
Implications
Wine mom culture can normalize and encourage drinking as a coping mechanism for mothers.
The study underscores the power of social media to shape perceptions of social norms around drinking.
Important Considerations
The study focused on perceptions, not necessarily resulting in increased alcohol consumption.
Individual differences and social circumstances likely play a significant role in how wine mom culture affects specific mothers.
Commentaires