Internet and Mothering

Beginning in the late 1990s, a range of different applications of the Internet have been taken up by mothers. Maternal presence online differs both from other online interactions and from embodied contact between mothers. Furthermore, as the Internet continues to develop and evolve, specific Websites by and for mothers emerge with increasing frequency. Maternal presence is most common on the Internet in the context of mommy blogs, information sites, message boards, and social networking sites developed for mothers. These different contexts of Internet use have attracted different mothers and are characterized by different types of dialogue. Although there is a range of maternal identity represented online, the majority of mothers found on the Internet are white, middle-class, heterosexual and married.

The Internet rapidly gained in popularity from the mid-1990s onward and has become a major source of information, entertainment, and communication for a broad cross-section of society. Despite claims to the contrary, however, the Internet is not a level playing field. Internet access is not equally available to all, even within the developed countries; meaningful Internet use is predicated upon access to both computer and connection, literacy, and reasonable leisure time.

This limitation is known as the digital divide. At the same time, the Internet is widely viewed as a means of responding to isolation by creating connections with fewer pragmatic challenges. Both the digital divide and the Internet's ability to connect people have ramifications for mothers. Mothers often have greatly diminished reserves of time, [Page 578]and many mothers likewise experience diminished finances. As a result, mothers may be more affected by the digital divide. Practically, mothers without home computers and without childcare may find their ability to access the Web extremely limited. For mothers who can afford home computers and high-speed connections, however, the Internet may provide increased access to community and may usefully ameliorate feelings of isolation.