When Everyday Life Becomes Work: Influencer Motherhood and Digital Affective Labour on Instagram

• In Event: Sociology of Sex and Gender Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 9. Labor and Occupational Cultures

Abstract

In recent years, the influencer has emerged as a symbolic occupation, promising high earnings and an attractive lifestyle. In South Korea, where societal norms regarding intensive motherhood continue to limit women’s participation in the labour force, platform-based work is often seen as a way to achieve a harmonious balance between full-time motherhood and paid employment. Domestic and childcare practices, which have traditionally been assigned to women as reproductive labour, are increasingly being transformed into marketable content, effectively turning everyday life into work. This study is based on in-depth interviews and digital ethnography to examine how nano- and micro-influencer mothers navigate the intersection of caregiving and aspirations for personal fulfilment and economic participation. The argument presented here is that influencer motherhood should not be comprehended simply as an individual occupational choice, but rather as a form of gendered digital affective labour. In this process, reproductive labour becomes newly visible while remaining unevenly recognised and precariously rewarded.

Author

• Yeri Song, Yonsei University