Scrolling through Instagram reels, video after video depicts the same scene: a beautiful young woman, in a long floral dress, cooking for her young children. The most notable creator of this type of content is Nara Smith, a distinctive figure in both Mormon and non-Mormon online communities, particularly through her lifestyle content on TikTok. As a wife to model Lucky Blue Smith who was born and raised Mormon, mother, and social media influencer, Smith’s portrayal of traditional homemaking, family life, and personal identity has resonated deeply with audiences, particularly younger girls. Social media and society are now at the intersection of Mormon culture, gender roles, and the broader influence of social media on modern feminism. 

The fascination between young girls and Smith’s videos is more than curious. The "tradwife" movement, which is short for "traditional wife," is an internet phenomenon where women reject contemporary feminist ideas and embrace traditional gender roles that are centered on domesticity and devotion to their husbands. Influencers who romanticize homemaking and conventional family responsibilities, such as Estee Williams and Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm, have contributed to the rise in popularity. Neeleman claims her life is a combination of traditional values with contemporary achievement, even though she is often connected with the term "tradwife." 

This movement pushes the idea that women find empowerment in their traditional duties as homemakers while men are the breadwinners. This look has been widely disseminated through social media where the hashtag "tradwife" has generated thousands of postings with images of happy homes, frilly outfits, and cozy domestic lives. 

The Political Research Associates claim that the tradwife movement is pushing a regressive interpretation of gender norms. Critics unsurprisingly fear that it perpetuates antiquated notions about women's roles in society and glamorizes a regression from feminist advancement. This could be true. But can’t it be argued that accepting these more conventional responsibilities is a matter of personal preference? The movement is on its own a kind of autonomy that gives women the chance to prioritize duties that they feel are undervalued in today's society. 

Nara Smith’s online presence is largely rooted in what many describe as a “soft life” -- a lifestyle with all of the trappings and serene visuals of homemaking, cooking, and family. Her influence online has led to a growing fascination around Mormonism among younger viewers, who admire the calm, and frankly stunning, life portrayed across her social accounts. Smith also represents a nuanced relationship with Mormonism, noting in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar that she isn’t a “hardcore” Mormon, opting out of traditions such as temple marriage and garment-wearing. Still, her connection to Mormon ideals and domestic life continues to play a central role in the image she has built for herself on the internet.                     

The aesthetics of Mormon influencers-- a beautiful home, perfect home cooked meals, adorable children, a handsome husband, and a dreamy wardrobe, have proven to be alluring to the tweens and teenagers stumbling upon these videos. This visual idealization makes the more concrete parts of the religion invisible. Smith presents her life as a homemaker with complete joy and fulfillment. 

The massive influence of Nara Smith is somehow still growing. Her newest partnership with creator Ballerina Farms on social media is a page dedicated solely to capturing life as a housewife and the responsibilities of family farm-keeping. To see Smith’s soft-spoken and frilly videos baking her own chewing gum and underestimate her keen business savvy would be a mistake. Her ability to repackage traditional ideals into content that appeals to both Mormon and secular audiences has created a movement online and in the real world. 

Despite their public personas as homemakers, these Morman influencers are likely the prime breadwinners of their families, making substantial incomes through partnerships, brand collaborations and weekly content creation, surpassing the same conventional role they advertise. They are constantly working. Transforming domesticity into a commercial enterprise is a full-time job and these women have created entire brands off of this, ironically positioning them as the very opposite of the lives they are promoting.