To be fed up of Instamums

[Hmmmmx100]

I followed a few of the more well-known Instamums but got weary of the constant daily barrage of brand endorsements. I can't relate to people on £100k a year in Farrow & Ball houses. I just can't. So I had to unfollow em all, every one. AIBU to feel a bit miffed that these people are using the idea of sisterhood to make money? They're not our friends, they're just there to sell us stuff that we probably don't need anyway.

"I imagine that staging all those shots etc is actually quite hard work"

They are from what I've seen. I once saw a fashion blogger on a European beach late in the afternoon on a beautiful sunny day. She arrived, and got down to her swimwear. So far so normal. She then proceeded to spend a whole hour in various poses (most often walking, and doing that odd sideways laugh thing) while her bloke took photos. At regular intervals she'd take the camera back, and there would be a strained discussion about light and angles, before he would be required to do more photos.

That's not the worst bit though. Once the photos were done, they upped and left. No swimming, no cocktails on a sun lounger, nothing. They took pictures that gave the impression of a day spend at the beach when really it was an hour of posing and minor rows.

This is it, screw. That is such a good example of how easy it is to get sucked into the instabog and forget that these images and lifestyles and attitudes are just a manufactured, tiny, staged second of people's lives.

langkaw I don't believe it's in the best interests of the child either. I follow Cara Suthers & whilst I find her funny & honest, I often think her Stories in particular are too child-centric. Their awareness of instagram & social media is really much more than I would expect at their age.

TurnoftheScrew That is pretty much exactly the same as I witnessed with an InstaMum. Just add kids. It was fascinating. And completely bonkers!

TheTurnOfTheScrew Yes!!!! Exactly this: an hour arsing around & pretending to have a good time. We were in Greece this summer & the island we were on was seemingly populated by instagrammers 🙄 One incident involved 2 women who got really annoyed with DS because he dared to swim in the pool that they were clearly trying to claim exclusive use of. They turned to him & said "Listen kid, this is for the 'Gram, for the Feed, ya know?" DS reacted like only a 13yo could: gave them a WTAF expression & continued bombing around the pool 😂 On another day, on a tiny beach/cove (no more than 10 people could fit in it) I actually got high fived by another woman when I paid DS to photo bomb this bloody annoying woman who was had a full on screaming fit with her BF for not getting the right angle/light/making her look like Kate Moss. They'd been perfecting the shot for an hour 🙄 They got the message & left 😂

Although the time we stayed opposite a cattle ranch was even funnier. There was one couple who drove up, her in fashionista cowboy gear. They get out the car, he has a $$$$ camera, lights, the works. She prances around in front of the horses with the sunset behind her for ages and then they get in the car and drove off. At no point did she even touch the horses, never mind ride them. My teenagers were like 😮😂

Edina

My child can only say Mama. Mummy is far too difficult. I like it! In fact, I love it.

mama that's fine!!

MakeItStopNevile 😂 Did they have to find the most photogenic horse too?

When a little child says Mama, nothing wrong with that, it's the self titled grown up Mamas who cause the shudders.

I've never read a single word Giovanna F has written but by god she puts in the hours. She writes till midnight every day, by the sounds of it, after the kids are in bed. She's a grafter.

I don't follow Giovanna but she's on pictures with others that I do and she seems a good sort.

I like that Giovanna has been open about her weight and fitness. The videos of her slogging it out in the back garden were pretty honest.

I have difficulties with how ready they all are to accuse someone of trolling just because they have been critical/raised a valid question/not left an entirely gushing comment. There is an expectation that everything they do will be met with fanatical adoration. Worse, they often goad their followers to attack anyone who is slightly negative. (Not just instamums but something I have noticed increasingly on instagram in the last few months. Fair enough to say "just unfollow", but why is it someone worthy of abuse because they have dared to ask why you haven't hung pictures on a wall or to say that your life isn't ruined because your husband won't let you replace the curtains every week).

I quite liked looking at quite a lot of the accounts but have started to unfollow over the last few weeks and they're just SO ad heavy. It used to be like flicking through a magazine having a look and nice stuff and stories about people's lives but it has just become adverts and also makes you feel dissatisfied with your life.
I think personally it's very wrong to put your children in the public and in this way- their bedrooms, their interests, their daily activities- but then I'm very over cautious with my children and would worry a lot about them being safe if they were well known. Mostly I would be concerned about them becoming unhealthily obsessed with what others think (which some of the parents clearly are). It just seems a terribly intrusive thing for them and potentially much more damaging than their parents realise.
Most stuff on instagram is relatively harmless fun but I would be concerned if I was for example a teacher of some of these kids about how exposed their lives were.

does anyone follow the Ingham family of five on instagram? They're all just so perfect. The girls are all absolutely beautifully behaved and happy. They never whinge or strop and some of their videos are looooong

It doesn't appear that mum of 8 gets any help nor is particularly wealthy. Does she do #ads and gets freebies I wonder; I don't recall seeing any #spon. I like her positivity and I do find her quite inspirational as having that many DC must be hard going; it serves as a reminder that I can do this (2 DC)

This is a really interesting discussion. I think the comments around the potential impact on the children later in life are valid - it really is just a matter of time before we start to see the (potential) fall out.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the American mum of the little girl who is quite clearly going to be an amazing child actress - but she's only 2. I meAn she clearly loves it but at 2 she's not going to realise the impact it will have on the rest of her life

Dozy I know that the dad took the youngest girl on a modelling trip abroad for Zara and she referenced the income? They are well kitted out and the house is too although she is careful what she shares. I agree she does a lot of work and takes them on the train etc alone. That's why I keep following her I think, underneath the gushy being blessed, she is actually doing a lot. She must have a cleaner though?! It is easy to bitch and she does seem like a lovely mum.

@WipsGlitter I pmed you.

Mum of eight is local to me and honestly I just think she has always been a mum. Without sounding twee it IS her job and she is making the best of it. As in that's all she has going on.....

Today's teens are the first to have grown up as part of the Social media generation. I've been on FB for 10 years and so my own kids were young when I joined and their entire childhood has been documented, right up until they got to teenagers and said no. And that's perfectly fine and made me realize I had been pretty blasè with their image in the first place. I know a lot of my friends no longer show photos of their kids for the same reasons. The exception is probably one family holiday photo per trip.

It's an absolutely fascinating era to be living in when you think about it. Great thread, Hmmm!

Wannabe -I guess if you have twins at 17 and then 6 more babies by 30, you are not going to have time for much else!