Instagram 'Influencers'

[Hedgehog44]

AIBU in thinking posting your child's every move on Instagram is setting them up for being bullied and ridiculed by their peers or do you think it's ok to use your children as your 'brand'? One particular 'influencer' winds me right up with the way she infantilises her 11 year old son in her posts to get herself likes and I feel like she's asking for both her kids to get bullied. Kids can be really cruel.

Yes. Their currency is attention. So the act of watching it makes you part of the problem.

For me it's the wider and the darker side of the Internet who will also be making up viewer numbers purposefully to view their child, perhaps collecting images of them that aren't child pornography but are used for the same ends. Never mind the fact it's not that hard to work out a location or a child's school or hobbies or routine given the amount of info some influencers share. I do post the odd photo of ds online but to my private fb and I know every person I'm friends with in person and tbh even them I'm wary about it. I can't understand why anyone would want to expose their child in such a way for money it seems really neglectful. Never mind the issue of consent and if that child will be happy to have such a huge internet footprint when they are old enough to understand it, when it's too late to undo it.

This is what I think too. My DS got to the stage where he hated me posting anything at all on my private page that involved him. And of course yes, the dark side of the internet is scary. These kids are so easy to identify given what is posted. God knows who is reading a public page.

@CranfordScones you are probably correct and I shouldn't even read any of it.

Madonna humiliated her son Rocco with pictures of him with his hair in bunches and soon after he asked to go and live with his father. Using your children for likes is poor behaviour and I'm sure there will be lots of older children and teenagers rebelling.

There is a lady who lives near me who posts literally every detail of her life and her child's medical issues on FB. It's really unfair, because the poor boy isn't a baby, he's upper primary age so not far off secondary and her incessant shitposting about him is both a safeguarding issue and makes him a safe bet to get bullied. I know loads about her family because she posts every detail of their lives, including the kids' schools, activities, etc. It's bonkers.

Totally agree I hate it when they use their children for endless, quite boring, content. Especially the ones who were famous for something else then had a few children and then think they are parenting experts. Or the ones who just compain about parenthood all the time. I have unfollowed most of them!

I am a bit of a hypocrite as I do have a private IG with about 100 followers who I know and I do put my toddler's pictures on this. I definitely don't share much information though just the odd cute picture.

I watch one and she has quite rightly stopped showing her children. It has not worked out well for her because she has nothing else going on in her life. The channel consists only of affiliate linking cheap clothes that nobody needs. I keep watching because I feel so sorry for her and want something interesting to happen.

I don't understand why anyone would post videos and pictures of their children. It seems at best naive.

There are a lot of sport

I think there will be large swathes of these influencer/mummy vlogger children who grow up and speak out about how damaging it was to have their childhood being entirely on social media in order to make their parents money.

There are a lot of sporting insta kids. Daily posts. Thousands of followers.
Parents posting lots of details as if their child is the next big thing. And everyone else watching to see if they fail. Some really unflattering photos of preteen or just teen girls or photos in swim suits : bikinis and all sorts. It's Wierd

I saw posts once of some academy kids birthday morning with his brother age about 11 in his underpants in the background.

The curious thing is that people are ‘influenced’ by these pound shop Kardashians. Who is seriously imitating them?

Do you mean a digital creator?

I think these people who post photos of their kids in swimsuits or undies are frankly, mostly nonces.

Is that what they're calling themselves now?! 😂

I don't follow any attention seekers "influencers" on social media, but I agree that using your children to get likes is unpleasant.

Did you mean brummymummy with the 11 year old 🫢

@Fillyfrog have you seen her posting his colouring book yesterday for all his mates to see?!

This, stop watching them ust don't give them attention you are giving them validation by interacting with them..

@Frugalfruit, Mrs Meldrum?

Yanbu.

Some people post so much detail of their children on social media even pictures in the bath and on the toilet for anyone to see.

It can be tempting to show your children off and it can seem harmless when they are small.

But these children will grow up and you've completely taken away their right to privacy.

Can you imagine how we'd feel if all our childhood photos and every detail was all over the internet for anyone to see.

@Covidwoes Yes. I tried not to make it obvious. I don't watch any other influencers, just people I know, so I don't know if the others are like this. I feel so sorry for her, which is why I haven't unfollowed. I only started to follow after she stopped showing the children but I feel very sorry for them too.

She has no means of earning a living other than her channel, otherwise I would unfollow. It's tragic.

I don't understand why it is even legal to post photos or videos of children on the Internet until they are old enough to consent in an informed way.

A lot of them are going to have this trouble. Brummymummy keeps trying to change her narrative to menopause but she's failing miserably as she is massively ill informed and also forgets what she's posted from one day to the next and is constantly contradicting herself. It is a shame because you naturally don't wish people ill but you have to wonder at what point they will get the message and give up.

I think it is illegal in some countries. It certainly should be. I imagine in future many of these children will sue their parents and that will be a catalyst for legislation to come in.