We embarked on this journey because, in 2016 the EU referendum was largely played out in discussions held between friends and family on social media. The general election in 2017 fuelled the debates that continued online and in 2018, the impact of these two events were still reverberating on social channels. Little could we have predicted what was ahead in 2020, and the role that social media would play in keeping us connected.

We keep an annual analysis so we can track and compare results, and we are careful to keep our pool of parents within the baby to primary school peer group.

As digital media has evolved and our recent mums more native to it, we have seen the emotional relationship we have with our platforms change.  So, this year, while two thirds of mums think they spend too much time on social media, they no longer see it as a lifeline, nor something that negatively impacts upon them. They are far less likely to feel lonely because of it, and they get more enjoyment from sharing their life, experiences and thoughts with their followers (60%). They use it for relaxation and entertainment (55%) and are not too bothered about discovering new platforms (15%). For example, only one respondent was using Threads.   

Where are our mums?

Snapchat is emerging as the new kid, rising from 13% using it in 2025, to 21% in 2026. TikTok remains healthy with 42% of users. And, while it won’t surprise anyone that we’ve watched the users of X dwindle since its 47% peak in 2022, not one of our respondents admitted to using the platform this year.

FB and IG are all pervasive with 89% of our respondents using both platforms.

And what are they doing on social media?

A very healthy rise in browsing celebrity news, up to 60% of responses from 36% last year, while visiting parent forums such as Mumsnet has dropped from 31% to 15%. Perhaps this is no surprise, given that the power of influencers (how we phrase it in the research is, ‘people you follow on social media who you don’t know personally’) shows absolutely no sign of abating, and our mums are following them mostly for inspiration for their personal interests - 70%.

Why else do mums follow influencers?

They are relatable, 60% and inspiring 40%. And, where previously it was always friends and family who introduced mums to new products, influencers now hold the power position, with 75% of our mums being introduced to new products via influencers. And, we see the reverse with friends and family dropping from 80% to 50%. Good news for brands too, a healthy 35% of our mum respondents have discovered new products from the brands own social media accounts.

But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves about our lives online taking over… friends and family are still the most likely source for influencing a purchase at 95%. However, influencers have elevated in this regard too from 22% to 50%.

And closing the deal? 

A whopping 85% of the respondents this year have purchased due to an influencer recommendation, with 5% saying they are tempted to do so in future. 

Are brand social platforms getting a look in?

In terms of brands engaging directly with mums on social media, Instagram is still the platform of choice, with over half of our mums using it, while Facebook has also become more prominent this year. TikTok remains the third most popular platform for brand engagement. Over half of our mums say they enjoy interacting with well known brands on social media and have been drawn to a brand because of its social presence. 40% say they are more likely to buy from a brand that interacts with followers, a third like brands to be entertaining and a quarter of the mums are more likely to buy from a brand with an informative newsfeed.

We always throw in a question about sustainability.

Over half of the mums admit they became more conscious of the future, once they became a parent, and a fairly stable fifth or our respondents always say that cost is a barrier for buying more sustainably.