Instamums (continued)

[MrBull]

Not a TAAT

The editor’s letter in Living Etc this month alludes to this, and I thought it was interesting. Also reassuring that the mag editors are feeling the same as me, as a reader! I don’t want magazines to be replaced by Insta there must be a space for both of them to exist without too much overlap.

It must be great to get freebies, but you never hear any of them say anything negative about them so it's all just a bit meh and polite and "thankful" and then you never see them use the product again.

@mrbull very true! I saw several people with toddlers get sent Ergo slings, they are expensive and I lost mine in a house move. I’ve given in and bought one (to be fair not tried to get a freebie but was hoping my old one would appear) and I use mine every day, just to load dishwasher and hang washing. I use it so much, a freebie would’ve meant eating more than jacket potatoes for a week but the 2 I’ve seen fleetingly referenced and then never again....

Interesting that Matt Hancock is calling for regulation of the time children can spend on social media as we become aware of its harm to mental health. Hopefully won't be long til that extends to controlling the way instaparents are allowed to parade their kids for money. They are being denied their privacy and their childhoods and that has to be addressed.

I use it so much, a freebie would’ve meant eating more than jacket potatoes for a week grin but the 2 I’ve seen fleetingly referenced and then never again..

How many times can you trot out the same bag in your squares, though?
I mean, say you or I were sent a bag. You'd do a picture of it (technical term, lol) and you label it as an advert and tag the company for their exposure.
Done all you should be doing, all good then. Right?
If the same bag kept reappearing, would people be complaining that they never have any fresh material, or they're sick of having the so called freebie bag shoved in their faces?
Plus there'd be the question of do I declare it as an ad every time? When does the bag stop being a "freebie" and start being mine and just me with my bag that you want to see?

Sorry, also to add on to my post - if you've given your ad for your bag, if people were expecting ad on it every time, why would you want to keep giving the company more free ads? You'd have given your side of the deal, so to speak. They've had their advertising and benefited from your audience. Why keep giving them more ads for free? I'd want paying again for that, not keep giving away free business!

@cadyheron lol I wouldn’t worry about it that much, I just meant that if I had been sent one and I storied my life or photos of my day it would just feature all the time! I would be perfect 😊 you just know that someone sent one for a toddler would not use it much. They would feel very heavy. If you use it from newborn you kind of adjust to the weight.
I am aware you wouldn’t really advertise daily. It’s the same with scooters or school shoes etc, there are accounts where you would feature items daily. Like when brands sponsor sportsmen. I mean along those lines. And also what’s the point of entering into collaborations for free stuff you then don’t use.
I’d like to see more charity donations or competitions to pass things on.

Adding on as well, I guess that’s another tangent, working with a company and being like a brand rep rather than one offs. Getting a pair of clarks shoes, showing a square of advert and then buying shoes from asda. Or actually regularly buying from clarks because of their ongoing customer service (for example) everything is just so instant.

Mmmm. I do think we need to let parents make those kinds of decisions athomeinfrance, even if we do disagree with them. Fair enough, offer guidance based on new research, publicise it etc, but I don't want the kind of nanny state where the government tells me what I can and can't share on social media. It's not North Korea.

Argh sorry I’ve reported myself. Meant to use the word ordinary, not normal. As an SEN mum myself I realise how badly that could be read. Apologies

@mrbull there should be some regulation for working kids and money made off the back of them.
And parents who use their kids to make money should not be held up and respected, the concerns of over exposure on social media should be highlighted to all.
People fawn over these families, they are so ‘perfect’, the kids are ‘so beautiful’ etc etc. But you know what in truth they are not. Many of these children are very ordinary. Most kids are cute and attractive. Many grow and have awkward stages/skin/teeth. Growing up can be hard.
I read a post from a mum the other day. Discussing her daughter’s distress at how last year photos of her got far more likes than this year. The mum was questioning posting photos and what the message give our growing kids.
It’s true even down to standard accounts. Photos of babies and toddlers get far more likes than 10 yr olds.

SpiritLeveller Very interesting, Living is one of my favourites. I too have a love/hate relationship with insta.

In the beginning I also liked discovering new brands on insta but when the likes of M&S etc take over it turns me off. I don’t mind bloggers doing ads if it truly is on brand but I’m more likely to read which, amazon, john lewis reviews when buying a hoover as opposed to an overtly positive ad on insta.

I don’t mind the ads at all. The gifting is worse IMO as there is often no discussion of the product so no review, it’s purely visual. It also creates that “need” for more and more stuff when you see other people constantly slipping more new gear in their feed. It feeds the consumerist culture in a way that an explicit ad doesn’t.

All true mousey, but surely it's still the parents responsibility? I don't think it's about regulation, but better education and awareness around mental health, digital privacy and social media. We need to let parent's make informed decisions based on that information.

Agree re gifting spirit - that's the shadiest area for me. Normally the more traditional adverts 'paid partnership with' and the likes are clear and easy to skip past. The gifted holiday or Mac lipstick discussed in stories, not so much.

Not advocating a nanny state, just some concern for children who have no say in how their images are leaving a permanent footprint on the Internet in their parents' rush for a quick buck. It is good to see that it is becoming a conversation on Insta - I think the more responsible ones do see the implications of it all.

She who mustn't be named's recent post with naked, sleeping child being a very good example of utterly over stepping the mark in so many ways. Ugh.

I realise it's personal of how much you want to share and everyone has wildly differing opinions of what's too much but some of my friend's kids that are older who were happy when they were 7,8,9 to have pictures put up are now furious and feel violated in many different ways.

I'll put pictures of ds up but never asleep, naked, upset or doing anything that isn't smiling and aware I'm taking a photo. He still may be unhappy about it in future so I'm rethinking the whole thing. It's hard as I'm so far from my family and friends and it helps me and them still feel connected.

There are so many aspects of recent posts that are trying to get a rise from MN that it’s really not worth getting drawn in!

Very true @SpiritLeveller of someone who's so quick to get posts and threads deleted and posters threatened with banning it's bizarre how much poking the bear with the stick is going on.

She’s taken the sleeping child photo down now, must be keeping an eye on the thread.

She’s taken the sleeping child photo down now, must be keeping an eye on the thread.

Instagram deleted it for her as it violates community guidelines.

(as if she doesn’t know the IG guidelines)

She hasn't taken the picture down

It was reported and removed

How embarrassed and humiliated she must feel!

@EvePolastri how do you know that? Not being twaty just wondering if there's a way of telling?

She posted this in her stories, melodramatic as usual.