If you're a new parent turning to social media for every little decision about your baby, you may already be caught in the bubble of Instagram parenting.
Being a parent is tough, even tougher when you're doing it for the first time. While your heart is overflowing with love, there's also a constant worry about raising your little one the right way.

And today, when a baby refuses to eat, won't sleep, or throws a tantrum in public, many parents don't call their mother or open a parenting book any more.
From a baby's first feed to their first school admission, parenting has slowly shifted online. Scroll through your feed, and you'll find answers to almost everything you think you need to know: what foods to introduce at six months, how to help your child sleep through the night, how to handle meltdowns calmly, and even how to speak to them so they grow up emotionally secure.

Whether we like it or not, Instagram has unofficially become the new parenting manual.

Earlier, parents turned to elders, doctors, or books for guidance. Today, they turn to influencers. Ask any new parent, and they're likely following multiple accounts focused on topics from baby-led weaning and gentle parenting to toddler behaviour and speech development.

There's no shortage of baby-related content online, all promising to guide you through every stage. And, for overwhelmed parents, this can feel like an instant solution. Think of it like this: instead of waiting for a doctor's appointment at an odd hour to clear a silly doubt you had in your mind, you just type in your concern, and within seconds, hundreds of videos appear to help you find a solution.

The thing about Instagram parenting is that it's available 24/7. That's exactly what makes it so addictive. But the real question is, is it truly helping parents, or just adding more pressure?

Take, for example, one of the biggest Instagram parenting categories: baby food. Perfect reels show colourful plates of beetroot pancakes, spinach paratha, mini idli pizzas, and sugar-free desserts, all for a two-year-old.