Understanding Virtual Communities: How Moms, Momfluencers, and Online Educators are Shaping Opinions and Reshaping Advocacy

From health-conscious moms to exhausted caregivers, many moms are actively searching for supportive villages online. The rise of MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) as an online movement suggests that the social media health and wellness space is politically potent, ideologically heterodox—and potentially ripe for engagement.

We heard directly from social media influencers and online educators about the hopes, needs, and motivations of the parents and caregivers they are connecting with online. We discussed how to build community across difference and find common cause with parents. We also explored the potential of genuine partnership between child advocates and social media influencers. Attendees left with a better understanding of the culture shifts that brought RFK Jr to our attention, insight into how the social media “momfluencer” world works, and different approaches to engaging with parents and caregivers online.

We welcomed to the session the curious, the skeptical, the chronically online, and everyone in between.