Moms, but "I matter too" ~ Moms' Media Consumption and Spending Habits

This series ( survey overview here ) introduces the reality of "modern moms" (moms raising infants aged 0-2) by extracting and comparing moms' attitudes and values across various categories in 2014 and 2022, conducted by the Dentsu Inc. Mom Lab team.

With the employment rate of moms increasing to over 75% (reference article here ), aspects beyond just being a mom—such as "the working self"—have become more prominent in their consciousness and actions. Consequently, factors driven solely by motherhood have decreased. We found that, alongside the "mom perspective," the "individual perspective"—consciousness as a person—also influences "media exposure" and "consumption awareness and behavior."

Part 4 explores the realities of moms who value their own hobbies, time, and personal preferences.

*Some comparisons are made with the 2023 survey.
 

<Table of Contents>
▼Information Gathering: Both "Mom Perspective" and "Personal Perspective"

▼Spending Prioritizes Medium-to-Long-Term Perspectives

▼ "Media Consumption Behavior" and "Consumption Mindset" Require Both Family and Personal Axes

Gather information from both the "mom perspective" and the "personal perspective"

First, let's examine which media moms engage with for information gathering.

Figure 1 shows a graph comparing media contact rates in 2014 and 2023, based on a survey utilizing Dentsu Inc.'s large-scale database. While "TV" had the highest rate in 2014 at 13.1% per day, it decreased to 7.1% per day in 2023. On the other hand, "Internet Total" increased from 4.7% per day to approximately double that, 8.2% per day, in 2023. This shows that the media moms contact most during the day has shifted to online media.

Next, we present data on the daily activities of moms.

Figure 2 shows that "watching video services" and "using SNS" are high on both weekdays and weekends. Furthermore, while "using SNS" on weekdays is 46.5% for the general population, it is 59.2% for moms, a difference of 12.7 percentage points higher for moms. Similarly, SNS usage on holidays is also 11.7 percentage points higher for moms than the general population.

This data further confirms that moms frequently use the internet in their daily lives, with video services and social media being particularly prominent.

So, what specific SNS platforms are they using?

Figure 3 details the main SNS platforms moms used in the past three months (2022). Ranked by usage rate, they are: "LINE (87.5%)", "Instagram (75.9%)", "X (formerly Twitter) (59.4%)", and "Facebook (36.2%)".

Figure 4 shows the most frequently used news and lifestyle information sites/apps in the past month.

This suggests moms are gathering information using apps specialized for moms' perspectives and cooking-focused apps. It also shows they are collecting information related to their own hobbies and interests, such as beauty sites and health management.

As shown in Figure 1, moms' internet usage time has nearly doubled. However, their usage of mom-focused sites isn't particularly high. They also use video streaming services, SNS, , and other apps to gather information based on their own hobbies and interests.

Emphasis on Medium-to-Long-Term Perspectives in Spending

Next, let's examine changes in moms' consumption attitudes and behaviors.

Figure 5 shows data comparing moms' monthly discretionary spending amounts to 2014 levels. Comparing 2014 and 2022, we see increases across all ranges above "10,000 to less than 15,000 yen." Notably, the three ranges—"30,000 to under 40,000 yen," "40,000 to under 50,000 yen," and "50,000 yen or more"—have more than doubled compared to 2014. This indicates an increase in moms' monthly allowances. This trend is likely linked to the rise in moms' employment rates.

A shift in attitudes toward spending was also observed. Figure 6 shows that the percentage of mothers who "often find money disappearing from their wallet without realizing it" decreased from 38.5% (2014) to 26.2% (2022), indicating greater awareness of spending habits. Indeed, responses indicating "I often think about savings and asset management" increased by over 20%.

The mindset that "money should be spent to develop one's abilities" and that "money and assets are investments for enjoying life" has also grown.

With the world changing rapidly and keywords like "reskilling" and "a world without clear answers" gaining traction, moms are likely influenced by these trends. Dentsu Inc. Mama Lab analyzes this as reflecting a heightened desire to enhance personal capabilities and, fundamentally, to use money to enjoy life.

This medium-to-long-term perspective can also be seen in everyday shopping attitudes.

Figure 7 shows results from questions about shopping attitudes and behaviors. Looking at the 2022 results, "I often choose practical items" was high at 73.0%. Additionally, "I often choose products by referring to online opinions" was 55.3%, revealing that over half of moms thoroughly check online reviews and other information before selecting products to ensure they make the right choice.

Figure 8 shows that the tendency to use online reviews as an information source when shopping is higher among mothers with younger children.

The highest rate was among mothers with "infants" at 85.2%. Mothers with children up to elementary school age were around 80%, while those with children in middle school or older were in the high 60s. For today's mothers, prior research is a deeply ingrained shopping behavior.

We also introduce the brands preferred by mothers.

In the 2014 survey, several luxury brands ranked highly alongside approachable brands. In contrast, by 2022, the number of luxury brands in the top 10 had dropped to just one, while multiple sports brands entered the top 10.

While the popularity of sports brands is one factor, this shift also reflects a change in moms' values when choosing products. They now tend to favor reliable brands offering items that are comfortable to use long-term and have excellent quality, over the excitement associated with luxury brands.

Moms prioritize their families above all else. Precisely because of this, they adopt a medium-to-long-term perspective. By refreshing themselves through "me time" spent on favorite activities, they likely seek to maintain a good balance.

Media consumption and consumption awareness: Both family and self perspectives matter

This time, we introduced moms' media consumption behaviors and spending attitudes. While the term "mom" might initially evoke images of "family-first" or "child-centered" priorities, the reality shows moms navigating daily life from both a "mom perspective" and a "personal perspective."

Their consumption mindset also shows a growing desire to spend money based on medium- to long-term judgment. They are beginning to use the criterion of whether a choice is beneficial not only for their family but also for themselves.

While this series concludes here, at Dentsu Inc. Mama Lab, we will continue to focus on trends among "moms and families," delivering the latest insights to you.

Links to past articles about moms are available on the Dentsu Inc. Mama Lab website. Please take a look.
https://www.dentsu.co.jp/labo/mamalabo/index.html

[Survey Overview]
Data Source: Dentsu Inc. d-campX Surveys (2014/2022)
Survey Area: Greater Tokyo Area
Sample Size: Mothers with infants n=310 (2014) / n=273 (2022)
　　　　　*n numbers may vary slightly due to data collection being split into multiple sessions
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