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.

Hmmm as a couple of pps have asked, how does the 'bullying filter' work. I'm not impressed so far!

It's so cringey. When this fad is all over, the main players are going to look back at this whole period and want to turn inside out with embarrassment.

FlyingBird

Are you allowed to do ad/sponsored posts about booze? I see a load of them went off to do 'gin'. No ad or spon hashtag on clothing brand PA's account

Random I wish that were true. I don't see an ounce of self awareness from the IG feedback so far. Everyone criticising them is a 'mean girl' on 'their period', who they're 'gunna cut up'.

Melanie apparently it's ok if it #gifted

Catching up with the thread. @allusedup - such eloquence, thoughtfulness and insight. I, too, question my strong feelings on this subject and yet I find I do care very much. Very much indeed.

Did someone really say they were going to 'cut someone up'?!

And 'Mumsnet bullies' are the problem? Really?

'Kin 'ell.

Random yep Susie V.

Did someone really say they were going to 'cut someone up'?!

Yes. But that is totally fine because the subject of that threat was a intemperate peasant (aka member of the public) who hsd the temerity to question Her Majesty Queen MOD the first

But anyway, it was s joke, like. And you are literally "bullying" by questioning this

Hopey Helpey!

Gobbo but I think she was going to cut up CB bullies.

And I wasn't going to say this, but I thought SV had been positioning herself for improved 'brand strength' recently by getting Greg to do more insta. She referred to asking him to engage in stories more, which he duly has.

Does anyone else get the feeling that several of them have effectively started screeching 'look at meeeeee' since the MN threads started.

@ScipioAfricanus absolutely agree, there are others on IG dealing with reasonable criticism and questions in constructive, equanimous ways. And IRL we all have to learn to do this in our professional and domestic roles if we want to get anywhere/continue to get paid/have decent lives and relationships. The devoted following some have built up though seems to feed this entitlement/beyond reproach attitude. They are then using followers in a very sneaky/hands off way through passively using silence/selective responses/excuses or more directly behind the scenes through alleged blocking/DMs/algorithm use (similar approaches to previous lack of ad disclosure) to direct debate and shame others and justify themselves whilst openly criticising others' 'playground behaviour'. Grim.

The other thing that made me sad was when some insta ppl were opening up big topics and asking women in the comments to share very personal stories of childbirth/pregnancy/mental health which people did in good faith, and the insta ppl replying to the first few and ignoring others who are left hanging (at least in the comments) when some were asking for questions and advice and being very vulnerable in their sharing (appreciate there are often a lot of comments and IGers have other things they do with their time but something also to anticipate ahead of posting such things..?!). I'm a researcher and have to go through ethics approval for a lot of my work, and barrelling in and asking potentially vulnerable people questions without signposting/opportunities for debriefing and informed consent is a big no-no. I appreciate this is instagram and not research but to me ethics apply regardless. And is surely something that health professionals apply in their work? Because of the opaque boundaries between monetised and other content, it just makes me suspicious about the motives behind all of these posts when actually there might be good intentions on some. e.g. are these questions being asked for genuine discussion/solidarity/support building/awareness raising or could it also be used for market research in some way (directly by the IGer and their management or indirectly by other brands/companies who follow) and strategising on how to direct future commercial content/increase followers and bring in more marketing opportunities? I'm sad that I had that thought because I can see how it can be perceived as nitpicking/being unfair/cynical but it's been brought on by this weird jumbled up mixed messages content that increasingly capitalises on women's issues. And I just wouldn't put anything past companies and individuals looking to make a buck.

spot on again allusedup. I assume the info is research for a book. The IGer will dm the poster of stories she wants to use/explore further and leave the others 'hanging', as you say.

@NeverWas urgh, I hadn't even thought of that one. It's so disingenuous and shady and manipulative if that is the case. Why not just come out with it in an honest way?

Whilst I welcome any platform that encourages women to talk about childbirth/pregnancy/mental health - it’s hardly a new concept - MN has been doing it for years, but MN doesn’t count cos it’s just full of vipers n bullies.

Allusedup I may be wrong of course, but the third book about the '4th trimester' is being written I imagine, and it was a stand out post, when so little is about midwifery.

Ps to the pp that was concerned a certain insta is 'missing' I wonder whether she is at DLAM's birth.

And I wasn't going to say this, but I thought SV had been positioning herself for improved 'brand strength' recently by getting Greg to do more insta. She referred to asking him to engage in stories more, which he duly has

Oh definitely, they've been featuring on each others stories a lot more also.

The thing that baffles me is; don't these women have any real mates? What do their partners (FOD excepted) think about all this?

I know that if I was spiralling down the instafame rabbit hole while simultaneously disappearing up my own arse, my closest friends and DH would tell me to stop being a dick.

I was pretty at SV's 'if you mess with Candice I will cut you' story!

I know she was obviously joking, but.... Just choose other words.

@EeebyMum agree, I am all for the sharing as long as people know what it is for/what the intention is behind it and what they are letting themselves in for (i.e. informed consent and you know, transparency).

This conversation has become more sensible again, so hi!

allusedup - I share your major concerns. I find the whole Instamum movement in general to be very murky, for such an obviously commercial movement. I've spoken before in particular about my reservations about mental health becoming a platform for opportunists to sell to vulnerable women.

I've just watched Candice Brathwaite's stories from today and found it very uncomfortable viewing. Clearly she has been very affected by vicious messages. I'm surprised she was willing to give so much of herself to her followers in those posts, it illustrated to me just how chaotic and lawless the whole Instaselling career is. There's no protection for the influencers OR their followers. As an influencer you are essentially positioning yourself as your USP, and are therefore required to be authentic. So I guess that includes the highs - free lunches, beautiful #gifted items, etc. And the lows - showing your reaction to rat bastards abusing you via DM.

I don't doubt for one second that CB wasn't genuinely deeply upset. But I'm not sure how or why sharing so publicly with thousands of people that she doesn't know could possibly be helpful to her in any way at all. The fact that she turned that camera on herself and exposed that vulnerability will be seen as brave by many, but I just felt sorry for her. Sorry that she's living so much of her life through Instagram. Sorry that her children are too. Sorry that she couldn't step away.

If this is an example of the abuse Instagram influencers are getting I can only imagine what will happen when their children are on SM. Surely it'll be even worse?

I know that if I was spiralling down the instafame rabbit hole while simultaneously disappearing up my own arse, my closest friends and DH would tell me to stop being a dick.

Yes, I always think what must their real life friends and relatives think of them. I guess it's like most 'celebs' though, a lot of them probably have their 'online' persona which might be different to real life.