Influencer ethics on Instagram 2

[MadameGrizzly]

It appears we haven't quite finished workshopping the ethical issues of 'influencing' on Instagram: disclose of advertising, the exploitation of minors and the similarities to MLM schemes.

Why would she divorce her hubby that she clearly loves and has four? Kids with. What an odd post!

I find it interesting how the words 'troll' and 'bully' are used on Instagram, and also used interchangeably. Before Instagram a troll was someone who deliberately stirred up controversy on a thread. Now it's someone who says anything to the contrary of what a poster has said, questions a poster, or who disagrees with a poster. These are very different things.
Similarly with 'bullying'. A bully is someone who habitually seeks out to harm or intimidate someone who is vulnerable. Not someone who makes a criticism on an Instagram post!
I find it actually a bit distasteful that the word bullying is used so out of context here. It's distasteful.
Totally agree mod needs some media training. It's all getting out of hand.

Really odd. Leave her marriage alone.

Just looked at the lineup for the ‘self-care’ day with NB. They are taking the piss right?

Charging £80 for some lunch and a lavender pillow under the guise of providing MH support?

Terrible, grabby behaviour which is taking advantage of women in a somewhat vulnerable position.

The metal health events are really taking off and are such an abuse of position.

There's also another mum who goes on and on about being a psychotherapist but flogs her wares online. How does that work. This 'mama' shares her professional advice alongside the stealth ads and talks of mumsnet being a bullying environment not appreciating that it is a source of support to many.

Ads all over the place interspersed with posts about self love and anxiety. And of course these white middle class women have all had pnd, severe anxiety, social anxiety and all are terrible introverts.

They are oblivious to the fact that privilege oozes from every story, every post, every fucking ad. That's why mod is starting to unravel.... white privilege stinks.

So on the two new threads we have people accusing IGers of faking mental health problems as being faked (how on earth they'd know that is anyone's guess). Plus wow. No wonder people keep quiet with attitudes like that still about.my Now we have obsessives offering marriage advice and to ditch each other to some. How on earth IGers feel they're getting personal attacks is anyone's guess. Threads like this kind of proves their point.

Is it bullying though cady?

I think you’re missing the point CH.

This discussion is about the fragile and delicate nature of mental health issues being exploited by self-styled, unqualified experts who are jumping on the MH bandwagon to make a quick buck. Totally irresponsible behaviour and quite rightly it needs to be called out.

One comment from a poster that has so far not commented very visibly on these threads has come on and made a stupid remark about an insta marriage at 3am and has immediately had two objections and I hope it’s been reported.

But I notice you’ve only waded in with your half baked arguments as soon as something mildly inflammatory has come up

Cady it’s one post which others pointed out.
IG comments like the ones on that post show it as a much odder place than here. And the posters love an over the top pile on

Cady, who if I remember correctly is not one of these people and didn’t follow them before, always pops up like this

Friendlyocelot - as soon as something mildly inflammatory comes up? Erm, nope as not been commenting on two threads and just roll my eyes at most of it as it's pretty constant but best left to froth as it's only a "discussion" if no one questions or has a different viewpoint.

Pfft, Cady. One person mentioned MOD's marriage and it's not someone who has previously posted on any of these threads. No one has engaged with the post.

A much more troubling issue is unqualified people hanging out their shingle and offering mental health advice.

Marsha- how is it Ok to mock or dismiss mental health issues?

Good to see you Cady. We need you for balance. We don't want to be an echo chamber.

Coincidental then?

Cady it’s not. But no one is

In fact the opposite, there’s been some heartfelt posts showing how it makes people feel

That's why the whole wave of mental health/self love/affirmation cards is so difficult to wade through. There is so much and there's no way everyone has hit those real lows and serious mental health issues, it's so prevalent it masks and takes away from the real problems. Every man and his dog has a mental health problem on Instagram.
However I do agree with @CadyHeron to a point, just coming into a thread that's questioning whether these mental health illnesses are real is awfully rude and assuming. I would just say that if you follow a few accounts where it's constantly referred to you can see the ones that seem genuine and then there seem to be those jumping on the bandwagon. But that may not be the case, and it may simply be the case that actually many people with mental health problems have found their feet and voice on Instagram.
I'm still not convinced that an online course entitles you to start helping people who may actually be seriously unwell.
One that I follow recently confessed to post natal depression which must've been the briefest illness ever and as the baby was so small and it was not diagnosed by a gp would have been better referred to as feeling low-as it came across. She was better in days and now frequently refers back to her pnd. Mis-use of these illnesses does not help.

Nice IG post by MadintheHouse re disclosure.

I'm not accusing anybody of having fake mental health issues. I 100% believe NB has struggled and I respect her for talking about that publicly. I do not respect her for monetising mental health. And using quacks.

I don’t follow anyone who talks about mh issues, that I’ve noticed anyway (seeing all the ‘mum’ stuff is a result of threads here) it’s not really what I use IG for. But I wouldn’t disbelieve people if they did post about it on there

Although people are talking about regulation and protecting people, as Jamon (I think?) said it is highly regulated outside IG. As it should be

Terribly sorry to detract but I just wondered if anyone had seen an Insta mum's post yesterday where she described her (very fair skinned) mixed race child as "darker than an ace of spades". For context, she has two younger white children and apparently said it as a joke. It only came to my attention because a young Insta mum with a smaller following called her out on her stories (she also has mixed race kids). The woman replied to her saying "I get you're fairly new to the mixed race parenting thing, I've been doing this ten years"

😱 She also has her followers calling the woman her called her out disgusting names on her page but closed down comments where people asked what on earth she was thinking.

I’ve reported that ridiculous comment from blank, totally unnecessary and then drives the conversation away from what is actually being discussed.

Have reported it too. Totally spiteful.

@CadyHeron - I'm also glad to see someone here offering a different perspective, but I am really surprised that that is all you have to say about the last couple of threads. Is that honestly what has stood out to you?

Tireswing - felt there's not much point as if you discuss from a different viewpoint with others people really don't like it.
Any discussion " permitted" is only if you're joining the echo chamber.