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Original poster

To think many are jealous of social media influencers

257 replies

pebimo6 · 03/12/2021 12:06

There's a couple I follow on Instagram and it's obvious some of the things they show are ads and that's fine. When I watch itv it's free because there are ads, that's the world. You either pay for a service or it finds another way to make you pay.

But has anyone else notice how instamums attract so much negativity? It seems to be nothing more than jealously! They're not harming anyone and no one is forced to follow

OP posts:
blacksax · 03/12/2021 14:37

There are few things less likely to happen than for me to be jealous of a vacuous nonentity social media influencer.

LaplandLucy · 03/12/2021 14:41

@pebimo6 I think it’s an absolute cop out to say if anyone is negative about influencers it’s jealousy. They are so problematic. Instagram has gone a bit of the way to say they need to tag things as AZ or gifted (years went by of them not disclosing this) but it’s basically a system of trying to scam people to benefit themselves with zero accountability.

At least if a salesperson sells you something you have recourse to the company if they misrepresented it. If an influencer does this and someone complains its ‘troll’ ‘blocked’.

I once was following an influencer who was selling a fancy alarm system which I actually had. How great it was etc. I had been stung by not knowing that it was only useful as long as you signed up with them for monthly expensive bills. I naively messaged the influencer to warn about this and I was blocked. I still wonder how many people bought one and are now stuck with either a useless alarm or monthly expensive bill. Obviously influencer was being paid to promote it and couldn’t care less otherwise.

I can’t think of any other job where if someone complained about your performance or gave you some constructive criticism that it would be a valid response to cry about how mean they are, say they’re a troll and jealous and carry on doing what you were doing.

And that’s just their ‘sales’ aspects. Never mind harmful promotion of a unobtainable lifestyle, unobtainable looks, encouraging plastic surgery and modifying your looks (younger influencers).

mbosnz · 03/12/2021 14:44

As much as anything, I've had so called 'influencers' first seek to coerce a family member into providing them with free meals, then seek to blackmail them with the promise of poor reviews when they were not of a mind to acquiesce. That's downright scummy behaviour. And parasitic.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 03/12/2021 14:47

I don’t follow any!

I’m not good with Instagram tbh

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 03/12/2021 14:47

But yes I imagine it’s a hugely saturated market

Itsnotdeep · 03/12/2021 14:56

I don't follow any as they don't really lead the lives or wear the clothes I want to wear. At one stage I did follow doesmybumlook40 and a few of her gang, but they all wore the same clothes! It just got boring seeing another pair of Air and Grace trainers them all.

Not jealous either. I mostly follow yoga accounts now, and I'm definitely envious of their strength and flexibility.

lastqueenofscotland · 03/12/2021 15:00

I’m not jealous I take great issue with people promoting things they don’t use. Especially diet pills/laxative teas.

TuftyMarmoset · 03/12/2021 15:05

I think it’s unethical to post about your young children and use them as a marketing tool.
And I wouldn’t want to live like an influencer. I make plenty of money at a 9-5 job and don’t have to worry about producing content at the weekend, on holiday etc. I like being able to switch off.

luverlybubberly · 03/12/2021 15:08

No

I think influencing is a morally dubious profession that has contributed to young women (teens!) getting fillers and Botox. Some of these women were reality stars who are admired for being down to earth then they start using their money on procedures that make them look like other influencers. i expect it quickly evolves into an addiction where things escalate.

i think that instamum types are morally dubious because they use their kids and they obviously can't give true consent. I'd love to know what happens when the kids say that they don't want yo be in a photo or might want images that they deem embarrassing to be taken down because their friends at school can see them. I bet that more than one has been emotionally blackmailed into backing down because of the free holidays etc that the family lose out on

RobotValkyrie · 03/12/2021 15:10

Certainly not jealous of them, like I'm not jealous of regular celebrities.
Their lifestyles just creep me out.

I'd hate my livelihood to depend on how "popular" I am as a individual. Much prefer to rely on my raw skills, than something as fickle as public opinion.

jingletits44 · 03/12/2021 15:12

The ads don't really bother or interest me. The issue I have with instamums is that their kids lives are plastered all over social media from a very young age to thousands of followers. They trade their kids privacy for free stuff, adoration and likes. Then they use the excuse of 'spreading awareness about how hard being a mum is.'

I also don't like the way people get jumped on by their army of batshit followers if they dare to disagree with them. I remember someone once pointing out something in a post by a very well known influencer (now author) they was potentially offensive and she got such a pile on. The influencer herself was very snidey in her reply too.

Mercurial123 · 03/12/2021 15:23

That's such an immature response. If you don't like "influencers" you must be jealous. They add no value to my life I don't find them interesting so they are irrelevant. And for those people who are "friends" with them and have some level of engagement they are just trying to sell you stuff.

DrSbaitso · 03/12/2021 15:30

Nice one, OP.

👏

Fimofriend · 03/12/2021 15:32

I couldn't name a single influencer even if my life depended on it.

And I always find it sad when people are doing extreme things or exploiting their children to get attention .... so no. Not jealous.

ComeAllYeFaithful · 03/12/2021 15:45

That kind of thing doesn’t bother me. People like Lucy Watson who is already loaded and strikes a deal with Lick paint to get it all free piss me off tbh.

Ponoka7 · 03/12/2021 15:52

@MLMshouldbeillegal

"Thinking they are pointless, shallow, self-obsessed and in many cases a bit thick "
Says more about you than them. They've jumped on a money making bandwagon. Some are even developing their own beauty/hair products. You'd get chewed up and spat out if you were thick.

"The OP is all a bit "nvr mind the h8ers hun, liv ur BEST LIFE". hmm"
Except she isn't.

There's a few over 50, mostly cosmetic surgery free, but have had some work done, as I have, who I look to when looking for hair styling, exercise, eating etc tips. I don't see them as any different to the people who used to write in the magazines that my mother bought. They have more of a grip on reality than a lot of people in traditional media.

A lot of the hatred is because they are young women doing something else besides from University to make their way. There's a level of sexism and internalised misogyny.

MeredithGreyishblue · 03/12/2021 17:17

Why though? Why does it piss you off?
It isn't free. It's a business transaction. In return for exposure. That takes time and effort.

MeredithGreyishblue · 03/12/2021 17:18

@MeredithGreyishblue

Why though? Why does it piss you off? It isn't free. It's a business transaction. In return for exposure. That takes time and effort.
Sorry that was for @ComeAllYeFaithful
BiscuitLover3679 · 03/12/2021 17:20

It feels quite fake and sad, I actually feel sorry for them as most of them don't eat and their lives are ruled by their phones. I agree it's probably a lot of jealousy but I also agree it can be annoying when they go on about all these amazing expensive things people don't need.

ronniz · 03/12/2021 17:22

I think SM is quite harmful to young people personally & I don't understand people who expose their dc but I don't follow them as I'm not personally interested.

Hereticetta · 03/12/2021 17:24

I’m not on any social media and so don’t follow any ‘influencers’, but I think it’s a pretty soulless, grabby kind of lifestyle and I’m certainly not jealous. If anything I think they’re pathetic and feel sorry for them and their kids, but I’m not going to waste hours of my life posting criticisms online.

ronniz · 03/12/2021 17:25

Yes, its jealousy mostly.

I don't understand this. I like Adele but if someone doesn't like her voice or music is that jealous? I think Angelina Jolie is a great actress & watch her films, others disagree. Are they also jealous?

ronniz · 03/12/2021 17:27

Mrs Hinch is an brilliant marketing/business idea. Cheap products & relatable.

SprayedWithDettol · 03/12/2021 17:27

I haven’t ever had instagram and no longer use Facebook. Not through any jealousy 🤣

521Jeanie · 03/12/2021 17:31

One of the mums from school is one. She has about 10k followers. It's ridiculous and very far removed from her actual life. Also probably extremely embarrassing for her 11 & 13 year old who are regularly featured in her pictures.