Abstract
The present study examined mothers' use of the Internet as child-rearing support. Mothers with young children from the Tokyo area participated in a questionnaire survey (n = 134). Most mothers accessed the Internet on a daily basis in order to purchase nursery items, gather information on medical agencies or child-rearing practices such as feeding and weaning. Such frequent usage was not differed by their age, academic background, current employment status, and home economic situation. Some mothers valued “emotional” or “consultative” supporting functions of the Internet, while others attached importance to its practical facility. In the present study, the former group of mothers was called the “emotional group” (n = 43), and the latter, the “practical group” (n = 47). There were some differences between these two groups concerning the mothers' profile and their Internet usage. The mothers in the emotional group were characterized by their young age, low academic background, minimal child-rearing support from their husbands, frequent usage of the Internet, and preference for online support instead of personal one. Measures to construct more user-friendly internet environments for child-rearing mothers were discussed on the basis of the results of this study.
