ABSTRACT
Social media has completely changed how information is passed on, revolutionizing varied businesses including parenting and healthcare. This paper critically explores the influence of social media influencers in parents’ birth readiness decisions. The social media influencers are influential characters with high competency levels and large followings airing their views on various aspects including pregnancy and childbirth on sites such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Their worth is in their ability to be inclusive, engender trust, and offer information relevant and accessible. Some of the risks associated with this effect are the spread of misinformation and a case of personal biases. The article identifies some benefits pregnant parents can get from influencers: reduced anxiety, health preventive behaviors in pregnancy, and enhanced self-esteem. It also covers privacy concerns and challenges associated with misinformation, emphasizing that healthcare workers need to be digitally literate. The conclusion shows the importance of balancing between benefits from social media influencers and precautionary measures against risks. Finally, it said that birth readiness outcomes can improve if reliable influencers and medical professionals work together to ensure that the right information goes through, based on evidence.
INTRODUCTION
The change in the kind of resources used in information dissemination within the health and parenting sectors, among others, has been influenced by the rise of social media. For some years now, social media influencers have been noted to play a significant role in shaping public opinion and decision-making processes for any product. This phenomenon deserves in-depth investigation because of its potential impact on maternal and neonatal health.
Background of the Study
Social media influencers are individuals known for their knowledge and expertise on specific topics, with a large engaged following on various social media platforms (Enke & Borchers, 2019). The platforms used by these influencers are primarily used in terms of how content is shared (Wielki, 2020):
- Instagram is great for visual content, allowing influencers to share photos from their pregnancy journey, maternity grooming tips and product recommendations.
- YouTube: Provides a platform for longer and more detailed content such as fertility information, prenatal exercises, and in-depth discussions about fertility options.
- TikTok: With its short videos, TikTok is known for its quick tips, relevant anecdotes and quality-based information on pregnancy and childbirth
Social media platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram have become key hubs for information among the expectant women and soon-to-be parents. Available literature from different research studies reveals that social media is a major source of information, advice, and experience-sharing related to matters of maternity (Lupton, 2016). The importance of maternity preparation cannot be overstated. Research has consistently shown that well-prepared parents have a better birth experience and a better new-born motherhood experience.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Technology has become part and parcel of the modern learning environment. It offers an avenue through which nurses and other professionals can learn efficiently, have fun, and conveniently keep abreast with the latest developments and best industry practices in their respective areas (Alsayed et al., 2020).
The phrase “technology-enhanced learning” (TEL) refers to any learning environment or activity that has the potential to be improved or enhanced through the use of information and communication technologies, according to Shen and Ho (2020) and Wasson and Kirschner (2020). Research conducted by Harerimana and Mtshali (2019) revealed that technology is used extensively in nursing education to convey instructions to students. This is done to enhance students’ thinking abilities, as well as foster partnerships with stakeholders in the area.
The use of technology in nursing education is one of the facilitators of self-directed and life-long learning, which are among the essential cross-field outcomes, as stated by Coopasami et al. (2017). Technology is also one of the facilitators of professional development. In addition, one research that was carried out by Maboe (2017) found that about forty percent of the respondents believed that online discussion forums made it possible for them to study with their classmates. On the other hand, twenty percent of the respondents said that they did not get any help from facilitators while they were participating in online learning. This is supported by the fact that whenever technology is integrated into teaching and learning, in most cases students are able to achieve activities at their own pace and at their own time; this makes it easier for them to be independent all through the learning process. According to Uprichard (2020) and Coopasami et al. (2017), the most obvious advantage of using technology in the classroom is the flexibility it provides in terms of both the place and the time at which assignments are completed. Due to the fact that it is not constrained by either time or space, this suggests that learning and teaching may take place whenever either participant is in a comfortable setting.
In clinical nursing education, the usage of technology has grown lately at an alarming pace (O’Connor & Andrews 2018). The usage of apps, such as virtual reality and virtual patients, is regarded to be easy, speed up the skills learning process and offers a stress-free learning environment (Chang & Lai 2021). However, at times, nurse educators find it challenging to access suitable audio-virtual resources to promote learning of such clinical skills (Barisone et al. 2019). Thus, training nurses with technical capability via the use of technology in clinical nursing education may go a long way in boosting the marketability of nursing. This is crucial since many nursing education institutions and health facilities are steadily turning green and demand technology capabilities in their prospective occupants.
As good as TEL in nursing is, some challenges have faced the integration in nursing education. One of the challenges is the inadequate availability and accessibility of equipment and connectivity for learning. Students who do not have access to study equipment such as computers and necessary software will not be able to keep up with the learning thereby hindering learning (Johnson et al., 2016). Connectivity-related issues such as bad audio and visual display, and sudden logging out from the network are also challenges faced (Singh et al., 2021). Maintaining and installing this equipment is quite costly which may be a barrier for some institutions Joseph (2012).
Another challenge is the ability of both students and tutors to adapt to change which might be due to a lack of training, unfamiliarity, and discomfort with equipment (Aldunate & Nussbaum, 2013). A study by Al-Senaidi et al. (2009) has shown that lack of time to learn is also a challenge to the adoption of technology.
According to a report by Elkins (2024) revealed that overdependence on technology is also a downside. It discusses how there can be a decrease in thinking process when student depends too much on technology.
Integration of Technology into Nursing Practice
Before the technology can be integrated smoothly into nursing education, there are some steps to be taken, some of them are;
- Training and professional development: tutors and students must be trained to use various technologies to make the transition easier (Alruwaili et al., 2023).
- Infrastructure and support: The provision for quality infrastructure and good internet connection will accelerate technology adoption. Adopting new technology can take a lot of time, teachers should have access to support that will help facilitate the learning and adoption (Johnson et al., 2016).
DISCUSSION
The Rise of Social Media Influencers in Birth Preparedness
The past decade has seen a healthy increase in social media influencers dedicated to pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. The study by Chee et al. (2023) found that platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are heavily used among pregnant women and new parents who follow at least one influencer. The reasons that influencers are so popular could be because they satisfy several factors. First, they provide relatable, personal stories with which expectant parents can identify (Johnson, 2014). Second, they supply easily accessible information in a way that is often more attractive and digestible than conventional medical literature, as indicated by Lupton in her work in 2016. It is about building community: it allows expectant parents to communicate, share, and connect with others who are going through the same thing (Chee et al., 2023).
Effects on Parental Information Seeking
Social media influencers are dramatically changing the way expectant parents search for and consume information about maternity preparation. According to Slomian et al. (2017), 95% of women used social media influencers for information about themselves and their babies, while 82.7% reported finding such information useful. It is further estimated that as many as 90% of new mothers utilize social media for parenting information, while 42% report the information’s effects on Birth Preparedness.
These specific influencers encompass a very wide scope of birth preparation topics, such as postpartum recovery, prenatal nutrition, pregnancy exercise, birth planning, and pain management. Their content is often characterized by lifestyle tips, product reviews, and personal anecdotes that set the stage for how parents make decisions.
Impact on Maternity Preparedness Decisions
The influence of social media influencers extends beyond seeking information to directly influence decisions about maternity preparation. According to Smailhodzic et al. (2016) found that influencers encouraged their followers to be more active in healthcare by obtaining information, which led them to ask questions during visits to healthcare facilities. Another study conducted by Johnson (2014) found that influencers’ narratives such as birth plan development, influence the decision-making of expectant parents.
Moreover, influencers often promote specific products or services related to birth preparedness, such as prenatal vitamins, birthing courses, or postpartum recovery aids. A survey by Chen et al. (2019) found that 67% of expectant parents had purchased at least one product or service that an influencer recommended during their pregnancy.
Risks and Challenges
While social media influencers can provide valuable information and support, their growing influence comes with huge risks and challenges. Misinformation is the main concern, as not all influential people have medical expertise or base their advice on scientific evidence. A study by Suarez-Ledo and Alvarez-Galvez (2021) showed that misinformation about public health issues is very high.
The other challenge is the experience bias during delivery. The influencers combine the information based on personal experiences which at times may not be personalized due to several factors such as health status, personal likes or even the access to healthcare dispersion and individual preferences (Tiidenberg & Baym, 2017).
This also results in concerns to privacy, as expectant parents may reveal their personal health information in open forums or influential people, which may result in a loss of privacy.
The Role of Healthcare Providers
With social media influencers continuing to change the way that parents make decisions about birth preparedness, healthcare providers have to change the way in which they approach prenatal education and care. In this respect, a survey by Johnson and Park in 2024 indicated obstetricians and midwives reporting discussions with patients during prenatal visits about social media content.
To be better equipped to discuss with expectant parents what they are seeing on social media, healthcare providers need “digital literacy” in the arena of birth preparedness. A few exemplary medical schools and Continuing Education programs have begun incorporating modules on social media and patient education.
CONCLUSION
The role played by social media influencers in shaping parental decision-making approaches to the beginning of preparedness is very huge and multi-faceted. Much as the influencers can offer valuable statistics, support, and network to the expectant mother and father, their impact also offers challenges that involve misinformation and setting unrealistic expectations.
As the landscape of prenatal education makes continued change in the age of the digital environment, it is all the more necessary to strike a balance between capitalizing on the benefits of social media influencers and mitigating potential risks. Strategies for both enhancing digital literacy among expectant parents and health service providers and ensuring that social media can be an effective tool in improving birth preparedness while minimizing possible harms are to be focused on future research.
Healthcare carriers, policymakers, and public health officers have to work collectively to develop tips for accountable social media use in the context of being pregnant preparedness. This could embrace growing partnerships in a reputable influencer community, growing truth-checking mechanisms for being pregnant-associated content material, and embedding social media literacy into preferred prenatal coaching applications.
The ultimate intention must be creating an ecosystem of statistics that will empower expectant parents to make informed decisions about birth preparation based on the best conventional healthcare understanding and the radical or at least network-driven approach of social media influencers.
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