The trend of “wine mothers”,, (Wine Mom in English) promotes the idea that alcohol is an essential tool to deal with the difficulties of maternity. This idea is widely disseminated on social networks through humorous memes and hashtags like #Winemom. However, researchers are concerned about this discourse, as excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing physical and mental disorders. The results of their research was published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media.
An underestimated social phenomenon
“As a mother, I often see the memes and messages on social networks around the idea that you have to drink alcohol to deal with the challenges of maternity. These contents often use humor. As a researcher, I wondered about the effects of this type of discourse around” Mamans of Wine “, and I noticed that there was very little research on the subject”explains Emily Lorenz, doctoral student and lecturer at the University of Missouri. To measure the impact of this phenomenon, she relied on an online experience carried out with 330 mothers recruited via social networks and groups of mothers. The participants were randomly distributed in three groups: one presentation with nine Instagram publications promoting the culture of wine mothers, another nine content promoting maternal sobriety, and a control group having viewed neutral publications, centered on maternity and natural landscapes. The publications were selected via the hashtags #Winemom and #Sobermom, by balancing texts and images. The participants then answered questions about their alcohol relationship, their tendency to compare themselves to others and their perception of social norms related to consumption.
Media exposure, a determining factor
As a result, the “wine mothers” content reinforces the perception that drinks is an integral part of the role of mother. Another interesting fact, the researchers noted that mothers who have previously exposed to “wine mothers” on television culture considered, after experience, that excessive alcoholism remained rare. This suggests that without prior media exposure, this type of content does not install the idea that drinking a lot is a maternal standard. Conversely, mothers often exposed to “wine mothers” cultivation on television considered alcohol as a common practice. “”I think it is an important education for healthcare professionals and support networks, while alcohol consumption increases in women, including mothers. If sharing a glass can create a link and help resist traditional motherhood expectations, it can also have negative effects by encouraging risky behavior, such as excessive consumption “estimates Emily Lorenz.
For the rest of her research, the scientist wishes “Promote better health results and highlight the support needs for mothers, beyond alcohol as a response. She also hopes to deepen the study of the link between stress, the discourse of “wine mothers” and alcohol consumption. “