Influencer ethics on Instagram

[MadameGrizzly]

Continuing the discussion on whether influencing on Instagram is an ethical business model, particularly around the disclosure of advertising and the over exposure of children.

AIBU to think it isn't a sustainable career unless the influencer is scrupulously ethical?

Bullnoway that seems like a lot of effort to go to for M P for a USP. I know someone who contacted her and was helped to find a bro bono barrister who helped with redundancy situation. I agree her campaign seems a little fluffy, but she is actually doing things like going to the Welsh Assembly. Credit where it's due.

Fair point Becca and practical tips like that were probably decent fillers for the rest of the content. I found a whole seminar on my working wardrobe patronising in the extreme however!

Batch cooking shouldnt even appear as two words together at an event like this

Interestingly, among the employment lawyers I know, the view is that until the gender pay gap is dealt with there can't and wont be true equality

reboot - I absolutely agree. I do think with a campaign, you need some identified and clearly stated deliverables. As much to motivate the people running the campaign

Reboot the most useful advice I ever received at working women's seminar was to learn to under promise. Apparently women over promise because we're keen to please.

If we don't deliver, we disappoint and if we deliver on time, well, we did what we said. If we underpromise and deliver before that we look brilliant! I've been using that advice for 10 years and it works a treat.

@JustMarriedBecca glad you found the day relatively good value. The one-on-one legal sessions were apparently brilliant. (According to the three people I’ve spoken to after the event).

Gametiles, I wish someone told me that 10 years ago!

Reboot it's useful at home too!

@Gobbo, we are in the process of making everything clearer. Transparency is key. For where we stand right now, there’s a blog post entitled ‘What is Flex Appeal?’ on our website for those wondering what our point is.

@Bullnoway sorry you think that. I hope my previous comment to @Gobbo offers up a little insight. We are in a period of transition this end and some of your valid questions will be answered over the next few weeks.

Following as this is an area I'm very interested in and want to read the whole thread

Flying Bird I agree it's sounds like really good value. The mental health aspect does sound like a tag on though. Without naming names, having seen their IG accounts because of these threads, I wouldn't look to 2 in particular for mental health advice.

Who is 'we', @badmotherpukka - are you engaging with experts to help you shape your work? You are now very visible and I'd like to think you are creating a steering group of well-informed people to shape the work based on both knowledge of how to get things done politically and also of the practical and legal challenges of flexible working. In your session yesterday you said that you aren't the expert - are you at least working with them?

Batch cooking, really? So just as you're getting your act together vis a vis going back to work + juggling childcare, "Pregnant then Screwed" ensures you are also responsible for putting the evening meal on the table. Jolly good.

@Bullnoway yes we are. We joined forces with the EHRC (Jan 2017) who are helping us steer the campaign - they provided consultants for our free one-on-one Soft Play, Hard Talk event to support women facing maternity discrimination and negotiate flexibility. That event is set to be wheeled out across the U.K. Equally, Timewise are consulting with us (on a pro bono basis) behind the scenes (and online under our Q&A sessions). As a journalist, I always saw my role as reporting on where things stand and trying to bring people together in the hope it challenges mindsets and affects change. I believe once we’ve set up Flex Appeal as a CIC and I’ve managed to secure a (real life) job, things will become clearer here.

I think it is really important to continue the focus on flexible work for all. Flexible working just for mums causes resentment in offices and fuels the pay gap. A push for better legislation is necessary.

And at the other end of the scale MOFOD posting about #trousersnake -
#theyarebecomingrichard&judy 🤢

@Mymediumpony, completely agree. There is a bottle neck of discrimination around pregnancy. But the bigger flexible working discussion has to be for everyone. I am offline for the day so am not ignoring anyone with any further questions.

Yes everything was free - legal advice and careers sessions and CV clinics.

And re 'dinner on the table'. No actually. If anything it was the opposite. Just 'this is what you and your partner need to think about'. The advice was actually to sit down together, make a list of what needs doing and use going back as a chance to reset and address any inbalance.

I'm not one for waving the instamum flag and a lot of it was utterly weird and eye stabbingly nauseating but a lot was useful and will be available on line for free too. I'd particularly recommend Step Up club which was branded as how to get promotion and payrise but was actually about knowing your worth and how to bridge the gender pay gap by negotiating harder.

It sounds like they really thought about what women might need, which is refreshing. It's just a shame there were the same old brands hawking their wares alongside it. It seems you can't have conversations around motherhood without being sold to in some form, and I find that a bit depressing.

Jam all sizeable conferences have sponsorship. They help pay for the event. You don't have to buy from them.

I know how sponsorship works, I was talking more broadly about motherhood on SM.

It's not on SM though, it's an event.

And I don't see the companies that sell products to women online as the problem - we all need stuff- it's the relentless stealth advertising of the mummy instas, selling a lifestyle, that grate.

JustMarriedBecca I'd be interested to know your situation and why you attended..? What did you hope to gain from it and did you feel like you came away with what you wanted?