Technology | The rising power of 'geek mums' A growing number of mothers are forming social communities online. What is behind their drive to the internet? At the recent SXSW Festival in the American city of Austin, Texas, one of the discussions centred on the surge in growth in "geek moms" - mothers who spend a large amount of time online. Women clearly power a large segment of the technology market. In 2007 they spent $90 billion on gadgets, and influenced 61% of all consumer electronics purchases. But what is it that is driving mothers online? Beth Blecherman, who runs the Techmama blog, told BBC World Service's Digital Planet programme that many mothers are frustrated by staying at home, and had found social networking as a relief. "I came from a technology background and was almost a partner at Deloitte - then I became a mum, and suddenly I became irrelevant," she said.
"People were looking at me when I went to stores to buy technology, and not talking to me as someone who understood technology. " Battling loneliness. SXSW Roundup: “Moms Who Tech” - The Juggle. Associated Press A “digital mom” I attended an interesting discussion Sunday on “Moms Who Tech” at the South by Southwest Interactive conference here in my hometown of Austin, Texas.
The conversation was led by Beth Blecherman, a mom of three boys who also runs the blog Techmamas.com, which discusses parenting and technology. Among those in attendance were a number of “mom bloggers,” as well as marketing executives from some big-name companies, representing the pharmaceutical, consumer products, toy, automotive, airline and resort industries, among others.
The marketers were seeking answers to the elusive question: how to successfully reach moms? Many of the marketers were admittedly terrified of social networking sites, like Facebook or Twitter, because of the potential for a bad product review or customer service experience to spread virally (like this example involving the painkiller Motrin). (A new report from Razorfish and CafeMom sought to answer some of those questions. Be a Better Tech Parent. The Birds and the Bees Beth Blecherman has a frank take on parenting in a digital age. “Internet safety is the new sex talk,” said the Silicon Valley-based founder of parenting blog TechMamas.com. In other words, trying to enforce a childhood without technology is like expecting a teenager not to have hormones. But unlike a sex talk, the technology talk isn’t a one-time laying down of the law, but a series of rules negotiated as kids become more mature. By age six, Blecherman says, children should know what can happen if you visit the wrong Web site.
Meanwhile, Kimberley Blaine, a licensed child therapist and founder of TheGoToMom.tv, gave her son, now eight, his own computer (her spare MacBook) when he was three-and-a-half. Although Blecherman is a blogger, her children’s (she has six year-old twins) immersion in technology is something of a concession. Nielson Power Mom 50: It's Official - Moms Are Superheroes. I am feeling my muscles growing as I type this.
When I first became a mom I felt powerless and invisible compared to my life as a Senior Manager at a top consulting company. But in reality I knew that moms are the power consumers who make many purchasing decisions for their families. But I am happy to see the tides are turning, the age of the "power mom" is upon us. First the Razorfish/Cafe Mom "Digital Mom" report came out and I had the amazing opportunity to present with Razorfish at SXSW on the topic of "Moms Who Tech". I was quite thrilled to find out the Wall Street Journal blog "The Juggle" and the BBC covered my SXSW session.
Even more thrilled to be called a "geek mum". And now Nielson has a report out (and Nielson.com blog post by Jessica Hogue) discussing the Power Mom 50. I am honored (and giddy) that they had a section for Tech Mom – defined as "Tech Mom are mom bloggers who are also PDA-toting, digital enthusiasts that love to stay connected". Board of Advisors. 75 Top Twitter Tips From Today's Small Business Moms : Money :: America's 'Tweethearts' Fit a Really Narrow Demographic - The Bi. PBS at SXSW | Beth Blecherman interview. When Mom Packs A Gadget - Forbes.com. If you’ve ever fielded frantic technical support calls from your mom (everything from operating the DVD player to sending e-mail), you’re bound to think all mothers are technologically inept. They’re not. And Beth Blecherman, mother of three boys, wants to prove it.
When she answers her BlackBerry Curve, an overwhelming din crashes through my handset. Blecherman’s trying to corral her twin 5-year-olds and a 9-year-old into a corner of Nordstrom on a shoe-buying expedition. In Pictures: 10 Gadgets For Your Geeky Mom She says not to worry; this is how the 44-year-old technophile rolls. She plunges into an ode to Bluetooth hands-free headsets and speaker phones. So goes life for mommy geeks. Blecherman is one of the founding members of the Silicon Valley Moms Group, a collective of mom bloggers who divulge the various travails of modern parenting. It’s a way to create a community for moms to connect with one another, says Blecherman, noting, “Being a mom is very isolating.” Blogs on Marketing to Moms | Brand Marketing E-ssentials. 20 Moms to follow on Twitter.