The shiny quality of therapeutic aphorisms and influencer accounts does make it seem like what would be most alluring about all this is a quick soothe, but I'm wondering if your series will expand to consider other factors/possible motivations nested within this paradigm. What does "the therapeutic" look like (offline) where you are? I'm interested in the micro currents as well as the 30000ft view because both can suggest new possibilities for compassionate pastoral response.
Wow. There is nothing more “soothing” than Mommy accounts, but I’ve also never really felt encouraged by the “You’re doing great, Mama” or “You are enough” posts. Surprisingly though, I’ve sometimes seen comments on these types of posts with mothers saying something like “I really needed to hear this today.” I’ve really wondered what kind of circumstances lead up someone supposedly being encouraged by these soothing posts for the masses.
That's a really great point. I wonder if it's the breakdown of friendship or other in-person ties, or a breakdown of vulnerability amongst flesh-and-blood relationships has contributed to the mass appeal of the "you're enough" mantras (I imagine our phones are likely sucking a fair amount of our daily emotional capacities!). Thoughts?
I do think that the breakdown of in-person relationships could lead to someone looking for encouragement on social media. And, I think that the more we live our lives on social media, the more legitimacy we lend to the content that we find there.
This is a fascinating topic to me, and I've found a lot to chew on from this essay by Jason Crawford -- a great deep dive into the history of the enchantment discourse. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-trouble-with-re-enchantment/
The shiny quality of therapeutic aphorisms and influencer accounts does make it seem like what would be most alluring about all this is a quick soothe, but I'm wondering if your series will expand to consider other factors/possible motivations nested within this paradigm. What does "the therapeutic" look like (offline) where you are? I'm interested in the micro currents as well as the 30000ft view because both can suggest new possibilities for compassionate pastoral response.
Wow. There is nothing more “soothing” than Mommy accounts, but I’ve also never really felt encouraged by the “You’re doing great, Mama” or “You are enough” posts. Surprisingly though, I’ve sometimes seen comments on these types of posts with mothers saying something like “I really needed to hear this today.” I’ve really wondered what kind of circumstances lead up someone supposedly being encouraged by these soothing posts for the masses.
That's a really great point. I wonder if it's the breakdown of friendship or other in-person ties, or a breakdown of vulnerability amongst flesh-and-blood relationships has contributed to the mass appeal of the "you're enough" mantras (I imagine our phones are likely sucking a fair amount of our daily emotional capacities!). Thoughts?
I do think that the breakdown of in-person relationships could lead to someone looking for encouragement on social media. And, I think that the more we live our lives on social media, the more legitimacy we lend to the content that we find there.
Ashley, this is so on point. Thank you for sharing. ♥️
Appreciate this Ashely.
Thanks Dorothy.