For millennial and Generation Z mothers, social media has become both a vital resource and a source of scrutiny, reshaping perceptions of motherhood in the digital age. Parenting today often unfolds as a public performance, where social platforms amplify both support and criticism. EJ Dickson’s recent examination of this phenomenon highlights how online culture imposes narrow ideals while harshly judging those who deviate.

Dickson, a senior writer, explores the evolving concept of the “good mother” as an archetype characterized by youth, whiteness, wealth, and self-sacrifice, often embodying sanitized versions of motherhood endorsed on social media. In contrast, the trope of the “bad mother” is more complex and multifaceted, encompassing figures criticized for career ambitions, perceived selfishness, controversial parenting choices, or economic hardship. This spectrum ranges from celebrities facing public backlash to working-class mothers disproportionately penalized for circumstances beyond their control.

Drawing on a range of examples collected through a single day’s media monitoring, Dickson illustrates how mothers are vilified for diverse reasons: from an actress drinking after a divorce announcement to a woman accused of lax gentle parenting, to more tragic cases involving poverty and systemic neglect. She emphasizes that the label “bad mother” functions as a social tool to control women by enforcing conformity to idealized standards.

The book blends personal narrative with cultural critique. Dickson shares her own experiences with pregnancy complications, breastfeeding challenges, and the struggles of raising a child with developmental issues. Her reflections highlight the pressures mothers face to navigate expert advice and judgment, often without adequate support. Particularly poignant is her discussion of the working-class mothers—many of them Black—who face legal and societal punishment for prioritizing work in the absence of reliable childcare.

Dickson also examines recent movements among mothers engaged in right-wing activism, including anti-vaccine groups spawned during the COVID-19 pandemic. She contextualizes these within broader maternal anxieties and the quest to fulfill ideals of good motherhood, suggesting that sometimes extreme actions stem from intense social pressure.

Complementing this contemporary analysis, another work traces motherhood through history, emphasizing its shifting meanings and the persistent burden placed on women. This historical perspective uncovers early childcare practices, male-dominated medical misconceptions, and the harsh realities faced by impoverished mothers across centuries. It also highlights moments of resilience, such as Sojourner Truth’s fight to maintain motherhood under slavery.

Both works reflect ongoing societal struggles to define and value mothering beyond simplified norms. They suggest that motherhood is a multifaceted, evolving role often constrained by cultural expectations, economic realities, and political forces. As debates continue over reproductive rights and family support systems worldwide, these discussions reveal the need for broader empathy and structural change in how society supports mothers.