Idealized Motherhood and Maternal Anxiety

= 70), full-time working mothers with children three or younger, viewed 16 Instagram posts depicting motherhood before completing measures of perceived similarity, state anxiety (STAI-6), and unfavorable social comparisons. Self-esteem, employment guilt, and social media use were also assessed. Idealized portrayals significantly increased state anxiety and reduced perceived similarity. Effects were most pronounced when the source was a mommy influencer. Everyday mothers elicited stronger negative comparisons than influencers, especially with non-idealized portrayals. Maternal employment guilt and lower self-esteem amplified adverse responses, indicating risk-enriched subgroups. Exposure to idealized portrayals of motherhood, especially from online influencers, can acutely raise anxiety among working mothers. Guilt about employment further heightens maternal vulnerability.