Mothers’ Medical-based Experience as the Most Sought-after Online Information by New Mothers During Pandemic COVID-19

Syifa Syarifah Alamiyah,Zainal Abidin Achmad,Heidy Arviani

doi:10.26740/jsm.v5n1.p78-98

Syifa Syarifah Alamiyah, Zainal Abidin Achmad + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.26740/jsm.v5n1.p78-98

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Abstract

In the past, new mothers were able to consult with their mothers about parenting and health issues. When they are married, many of them live not at home with their mothers. When they need information about childcare and health problems, they switch to using online information sources (Facebook, Instagram, the Health page, and WhatsApp group). This study explores how new mothers in Surabaya use online platforms to search for helpful information related to health during pandemic COVID-19. This study used a qualitative virtual ethnographic method by collecting data through interviews, FGDs, and participating in several online media platforms, including Facebook group Room for Children; id.theAsianparent.com; Instagram account @ruangmom, @kenapaharusvaksin, @obesitas, and WhatsApp “Kulwapp” group. The results reveal that new mothers prefer to enroll in Facebook private groups and only women members with open identities. While on Instagram, they prefer to communicate through questions and answer forums. The Health page that is the primary reference is id.theAsianparent.com. Meanwhile, involvement in the Kulwapp WhatsApp group is for convenience and safety to discuss issues surrounding sexual organs. The shifting information-seeking of new mothers to online platforms because of more theoretical and medically-based health information and experiences need.

Highlights

The vast development of information and communication technology today has brought changes in ways of parenting’s attitude (Pedersen and Smithson 2013; Zaslow 2012)
This study found that people with lower economic status were still relying on print media for health information seeking
New mothers with younger age hold academic degree while the previous generation mostly graduated from high school but two of them hold bachelor degree

Summary

Introduction

The vast development of information and communication technology today has brought changes in ways of parenting’s attitude (Pedersen and Smithson 2013; Zaslow 2012). One of the changes is the way of how people use communication media to exchange messages and as a medium to seek information that useful for themselves and their family and relatives. New research in Europe and America show the women trend, especially women who has young children, they spent a lot of time online to seek health information (Bouche and Migeot 2008). This trend is strengthened that parents today consume and collect huge information about parenthood through the Internet (Plantin and Daneback 2009). While the dominating age of Internet users was 20-34years old (APJII 2020)

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