Instagram Influencers

[disney1st timer]

Am I the only one that thinks this trend of “Instagram Influencers” is so damaging to the mental health and well-being of our younger generation? There’s a girl I know (22 years old) that is one of these and her posts are so picture perfect, portraying a perfect life consisting of the perfect holidays and the perfectly clean and tidy perfect house that it’s actually sickening. Now, I’m a 36 year old and I understand that she is only showing snippets of reality and that of course she will only show the good parts of her life. The amazing Caribbean holidays they go on even though she isn’t working, has two children and her husband has an average job could be funded by credit cards for all we know but I worry that our teenagers are being bombarded with the images and pressure of these perfect lives that it could be severely damaging to their mental health. My dd is 15 and so impressionable that I worry that this craze in “influencing” is just too much. In my eyes this is worse than photoshopping celebrities on the front of magazines as it is much more in your face and constantly there on Instagram. I would absolutely hate to be a teen growing up in this era I really would.

[Colette-S]

Don’t follow them! Their posts are misleading and don’t reflect their real life just the pretend life they want everyone to think they have!
I only followed family and friends (Inc a few dibbers!) and can’t be bothered with all the attention seekers

[Dinglebert]

Don't think its that different from the likes of OK magazine or their ilk. Has gone on for decades, magazines with film stars leading the perfect life.

Its all nonsense.

[Fluffypenguin]

I think it’s really damaging for their children. Having a camera constantly pointed in their face, their every move being filmed for the world to see... other children at school can see it and make comments... plus there’s the more sinister side of what creeps are watching it and finding out where they live and go to school? I think it is really wrong that these children are having their privacy sold so that their parents can make money. The children in some cases do ADs and have to act a certain way to the camera. There is a forum online dedicated to discussing this sort of thing and it’s very eye opening.

[shirley]

So over rated, and so unlike real life. They get sent stuff, paid for endorsements, etc. Just dont get it, but the youngsters seem to be taken in with them. X

[Bianca]

I agree.

And, just IMO, they're potentially worse than mags and papers photoshopping celebs and printing celeb "life stories", because we're being influenced by "regular" people supposedly closer to who we are and 'should' be! ...Even though it's not even close to who they really are!

Phone cameras are one of the worst things invented!

[wanye]

ok boomers!

if they are happy and earning a decent income, why the need to be so salty?

[400ixl]

Our DD and all her friends appear to know exactly how it works and what is real and what isn't, they certainly don't appear to be taken in by them, but can certainly be influenced / informed.

It's no different to magazine and TV advertising from yesteryear.

As always it is part of a parents role to ensure they understand the world they live in, not to live their lives for them.

If a child is on the side of being more likely to be taken in then they need support and assistance in understanding the risks and opportunities.

It's no different to adults being more or less likely to be taken in by a phishing attack or rogue website/trader. They are all life skills.

[novocastrian]

Originally Posted by wanye

ok boomers!

if they are happy and earning a decent income, why the need to be so salty?

See more...

im still at a loss how they actually make any money other than i assume get paid xxx to say they use product yyy to their followers? is their really that much money to be made?

as for these families who have their entire "perfect" life on youtube etc its upto them but using your kids to make a wedge is morally a bit dodgy especially as the kids are usually small & have no choice, yet their entire childhood will be public/online forever...

[megaflyer]

Originally Posted by Colette-S

Don’t follow them! Their posts are misleading and don’t reflect their real life just the pretend life they want everyone to think they have!
I only followed family and friends (Inc a few dibbers!) and can’t be bothered with all the attention seekers

See more...

I am the same - I am new to Instagram and use it primarily to keep in touch with friends and family abroad now have a couple of Dibbers and its fun - I love it but dont even see any influencers sots entirely possible and easy to ignore “influencers”