The Mother Load Podcast
Are social media algorithms feeding our parenting anxieties?
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As parenting advice floods our feeds, this episode explores how mothers can filter the noise, trust their instincts and find support beyond the screen.
Synopsis: Join us for a five-part series on working motherhood from July 3-31 with episodes out every Friday.
Social media has become a lifeline for many mothers - offering advice, reassurance and community at the tap of a screen. But what happens when the endless parenting tips and constant comparison start to undermine our confidence instead?
In this episode, host Vanessa Chelvan sits down with Huda Rasid, founder of The Mum Collective, and Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam to talk candidly about the pressures of raising children in the digital age.
From information overload to screen time guilt and the pressures of competitive parenting, they unpack why so many mothers feel like they’re constantly falling short - even when they’re doing their best.
The conversation also explores practical ways to build a healthier relationship with social media, trust your own instincts again and find real support beyond the screen - reminding parents that no algorithm knows their child better than they do.
Highlights (click/tap above):
5:20 Do social media algorithms reflect our anxieties back at us?
9:54 Too many choices have eroded mums’ confidence in their own instincts
13:00 Getting caught in the comparison trap
18:04 Rahayu on mum guilt and parenting her son
23:45 Screen time struggles and why parents may feel judged
27:50 Keeping it real on social media and examining your own triggers around screentime
33:08 Intensive mothering: Can we be less competitive?
37:42 The tuition dilemma
41:42 Using social media as a tool, not a trap
45:10 Finding a mum community IRL
47:50 No algorithm knows your child better than you do
Host: Vanessa Chelvan (vpchelvan@sph.com.sg)
Read Vanessa’s articles: https://str.sg/gr5Z
Follow Vanessa on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/jHdJ
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Elizabeth Law
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