The great transformations that shaped our lives were always based on communication tools. This adventure, which extends from cave walls to printing houses, from television to social media platforms, has changed not only the tool but also the way society perceives the world. In the digital age we currently live in, social media has become a powerful actor that rebuilds the individual's self.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rengim Sine Nazlı Bolu Hakimiyet July 1, 2025

Now, many "bests" are announced on social media platforms, from how to be a human to how to be a good parent. It is almost impossible not to be carried away by this high volume of the show. We live in a system where everyone feels obliged to be the "best" version of themselves, and even to constantly display this version. It is forgotten that being human is an incomplete, flawed and incomplete journey.

Parenting also gets its share of this show system. In order to be the best parents, we start to manage our children like a project file. Social media norms determine every detail from what the child will eat to what they will wear to which event they will attend. As a mother, I found myself following instamother accounts in this digital flow. At first, it was to gain information and get inspired by experiences; however, without realizing it, I was dragged into a comparison and an effort to catch up. Sharing was replaced by a show, and solidarity was replaced by a performance presented to the audience.

As lists, routines, and programs created for the child, parents turn into individuals who follow and try to catch up. However, parenting is not about constantly showing superior performance; it is about accepting the feeling of inadequacy and learning to walk with it. Being "super" is not a situation, it is a process: it requires accepting failure alongside success, unhappiness alongside happiness.

However, reaching this awareness is not easy. Sleepless nights, questioning, and comparisons are the passengers of this path. Finding our own voice in the digital world, continuing on our own path with our own map is a difficult but necessary choice.

And bell jars... Glass bell jars where parents hide their children with their digital fears. But as children grow up, they want to see the outside world through the cracks of that bell jar, and when they do, they can get lost.

Without digital media tools taking a natural place in our lives, it becomes inevitable to define parenting and childhood as a dangerous process. However, every family, every child is unique. So are their journeys. It is necessary to accept the thorns while walking in rose gardens; not to lose sight of the path itself while running towards the goal.

Perhaps the best thing is to put aside the obligation to be "the best" and remember that just being "good" is enough.