A study on the alienation phenomenon of China Bao Ma blogger's emotional labor in the digital age

Bao Ma means mom with kids, which is a popular term on the Internet..In the digital era, "Bao Ma" parenting is heavily featured on social media via vlogs and experience sharing, shifting emotional labor from private to public spheres and challenging traditional parenting norms. Digital platforms amplify expectations of "selfless motherhood" into "visual maternal standards," creating a digital discipline. Through text and video analysis, this study reveals that "Bao Ma" bloggers receive economic benefits from fan engagement, transforming unpaid labor into valued labor and quantifying the emotional labor of motherhood. Platform algorithms standardize parenting experiences, and brands integrate "Bao Ma" bloggers into marketing, turning self-expression into commercial tools. This paper examines the disciplinary role of network society on mothers, highlighting the emotional labor dilemma in informal employment. It advocates for a social protection system for digital maternal labor, urging platforms to reduce content promoting perfect motherhood and encouraging authentic parenting content. The government should protect digital "Bao Ma" rights, include them in flexible employment policies, and provide labor subsidies to prevent labor alienation.