Let me see and be seen: digital mothering practices assisted by smart cameras

Smart cameras are increasingly integrated into intergenerational co-parenting in urban Chinese dual-earner families. This study investigates how smart cameras mediate parenting and reshape family dynamics in this context. Based on in-depth interviews with 19 working mothers,it explores how smart cameras influence mothering practices and familial relationships by enhancing visibility. The adoption of smart cameras in parenting is propelled by both the strategic initiatives of working mothers and the commercial imperatives of technology providers. Working mothers simultaneously occupy dual roles as both viewers and the viewed. They monitor domestic parenting activities remotely while at work, facilitating virtual participation that mitigates feelings of guilt and anxiety. Additionally, they anticipate that their parenting efforts at home will be recognized and appreciated by their husbands, potentially fostering greater paternal engagement. The visibility afforded by smart cameras functions as both a facilitator and a potential source of conflict in parenting communication, contingent on existing co-parenting dynamics and the quality of familial relationships. Overall, smart cameras embody working mothers' innovative strategies for leveraging digital media to mitigate tensions between professional responsibilities and family obligations, thereby shaping new maternal practices and facilitating the redistribution of parenting labour.