• by Chad Haus , November 17, 2014

The other day, I was standing in line at Target when this child in line caught my eye — or rather, my ear. He was going bananas — yelling, screaming, grabbing just about everything in sight and heaving it to the floor. Meanwhile, his young Mom couldn’t be bothered. Instead of paying attention to the needs of her child, she had her eyes fixated on the screen of her new iPhone6, no doubt checking out how many of her fellow Millennials decided on Pumpkin Spice Lattes that morning. Or was she?

Millennials are arguably more comfortable with the digital world than most of us, but their constant connection and reliance on smartphones, tablets, etc., doesn’t necessarily translate into “missing out” on life or being a bad parent either. They, too, have the around-the-clock work emails, flashing notifications, and social media profiles begging for non-stop attention. But their gravitational pull toward everything digital is being put to better use than you may think. Research shows that an overwhelming number of moms feel that technology helps them to be better moms. And there is a plethora of rhymes and reasons why these moms rely so heavily on technology to make daily life more efficient and more rewarding. 

Keeping Tabs on Life

As mobile becomes the first screen across the board, moms are increasingly using both smartphones and tablets as mobile filing cabinets to organize and manage her life (and junior’s). From day-to-day growth monitoring and medical record-keeping, to sleep patterns, and potty training, mom can now track it all and store it in once place. For example, apps like Pull-Ups "Time to Potty" helps toddlers and parents through the potty training journey and others like "The Bump" or "Baby Connect" track things like fetal development, health information and doctor appointments. All of these help keep mom’s mind at ease and create a level of control through the daily chaos of life. They also provide a critical link to instant education and solutions to problems that any mom knows can pop up at any time.

Sharing Moments

We all love to share our personal views, experiences and life milestones with friends and family. And today’s Millennial moms are doing so without thinking twice — it’s the only way they’ve known. This mom is no stranger to mobile devices or social media. According to a recent study by Weber Shandwick, "Digital Women Influencers: Millennial Moms," this group has an average of 3.4 social media accounts (vs. 2.6 for moms in general). So if they’re online all the time, why not share what’s going on in their lives? Helpful site BabyCenter even reports that 92% of Millennial moms share family milestones on Facebook. It’s now the easiest and quickest way to share important pictures with everyone that matters to them. As digital natives, it’s simply their “normal.”

Maximizing Time

There never seem to be enough hours in the day. For Millennial Moms, this is about as obvious a statement as you can make. Like most of us, they’re trying to define themselves in the world, pack in more meetings and conference calls, but on top of all that, there’s all the fun, excitement, and challenge of being a Millennial Mom. This is an instant recipe for chaos if not managed correctly. Don't worry, there’s an app for that! From list-making apps (like "Todolist" and "Google Keep") and shared family calendars to mobile shopping and subscription-based services, such as Amazon and their "Subscribe and Save" program, she not only saves time driving and shopping in retail stores, but she saves money, too.  

Inspiration On-The-Go

Not only is today’s Millennial Mom turning to the web to manage and share, she’s also gaining inspiration and motivation to be an even better Mom. One out of three Millennial Moms says smartphones play a key role in research and finding ideas, and one-fifth make a purchase because of it! So whether it’s better birthday party ideas, ways to cram in that workout, or easy ways to make a house a home, today’s Millennial Mom is without a doubt using everything she can to be (and feel) better.

So the next time you’re in line and you see that Millennial Mom on her phone typing furiously or scrolling until the screen starts smoking, just remember there’s a good chance she’s just searching for today’s “little victory” in her own way. It’s what being a Mom is all about.