shallowmaternal
Shallowmaternal is a neologism used in sociolinguistic and media studies to describe a pattern of maternal behavior characterized by superficial engagement with a child’s emotional needs and a focus on external signals of parenting, such as status, aesthetics, or online performance, rather than deep attunement. The term is not a clinical diagnosis; it appears in critical discourse about contemporary parenting cultures, particularly in online communities where parental identity is curated for an audience.
Origin and usage: Shallowmaternal blends shallow and maternal. It emerged in online commentary in the early
Typical features associated with shallowmaternal include a focus on routine and appearance over sustained emotional attunement;
Relation to other concepts: it overlaps with discussions of performative parenting, narcissistic caregiving, and online motherhood
See also: performative parenting; online motherhood; parental burnout; narcissistic parenting.