In an effort to continue to rest while also hosting a podcast, I'm reposting an episode from the archives. This episode of Medium Lady Talks originally aired on July 11, 2024. Enjoy and new episodes will air next Monday! _________ Hello, hi! Today’s episode is a first for the show: Medium Lady Rants? After being influenced by a few videos critiquing BookTok and the Beauty Influencer space it occurred to me that some of the problems in those spaces also exist in the motherhood content space. And I have a lot of thoughts about it! This episode is designed to give you some healthy skepticism about short form content that targets mothers, so you can avoid the shame and blame that can sometimes be triggered after a scroll session. Episode Summary Why do moms seek this kind of content in the first place? And why can it be harmful? While we don’t need to call out or “cancel” any particular creator there are themes behind some of the content that is useful to pay attention to I’ll talk about why I resisted embracing the “Mom” niche for so long The “machine” of social media is not invested in our wellness at all - even if creators are doing their best to create intentional content Ultimately, motherhood content on social media feels like it’s serving a need - if we’re aware of what those needs are we can be more mindful as we consume short form content.  It’s crucial to remember that virality will always come before your mental health - and I’ll explain more about why this is the case. What is rage baiting? And how does it work when it comes to short form content for mothers? Remember your focus and attention is currency: creators will use your insecurities as the entry point to gain more of that currency as collateral you might find yourself being preyed upon for engagement. I routinely reflect on the struggle I’ve experienced as a content creator to dabble with and mess around in some of the spaces that provide a straighter path to growth and virality and the cost of that would be my personal desire to help people and leave my audience better than when they found me. Awareness of how this content can leave you in a shame and blame spiral is only good if it compels you to take ACTION - I’ll share my suggestions for how you can bring mindfulness and digital habits to your consumption of short form content (it’s easy I promise)   Other Episodes you might like: Episode 107: From Anxiety to Action - How to reclaim your mental headspace with guest and coach Madeline Farquharson Episode 108: From Self-Neglect to Self-Care - Prioritizing your Needs with guest and coach Madeline Farquarson Other Resources mentioned: The Opal App Connect with Erin: Instagram: @medium.lady Email: mediumladytalks@gmail.com  Explore more book-related content on "Medium Lady Reads." - link to Spotify Instagram: @mediumladyreads