Pemanfaatan Media Sosial Instagram Dalam Mengasuh Anak Oleh Ibu Milenial

Abstract

This study explores how millennial mothers utilize Instagram as a source of parenting information and support. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach and guide by the Uses and Gratifications Theory, complemented by Social Influence Theory, the research involved six purposively selected informants based on their age, parental status, and active use of Instagram. Findings indicate that Instagram is used to fulfill various needs, including seeking parenting advice, emotional reassurance, identity information as mothers, and indirect social connection. The parenting content accessed-ranging from expert-based accounts to personal experiences shared by fellow mothers-was often applied in daily caregiving practices selectively and contextually. The study also reveals that digital social norms and reference figures on Instagram influence how mothers interpret, accept, and integrate parenting values. Instagram thus serves both as an information hub and space of social observation, subtly shaping contemporary mothering practices. This study highlights the importance of promoting digital literacy among mothers and calls for more credible, reflective and empowering parenting content on social media platforms.