I need to rant.
If you don’t know me or have just started reading my blog, I began documenting my days as a mommy blogger back in 2009. Well, before the arrival of Instagram and mommy influencers. As a marketing expert (my full-time job) I have seen the world of public relations and social media change so much, becoming a pay-for-play landscape. Very few bloggers do anything for free these days and will only promote a product if there are dollar signs involved. This shift in the media landscape has changed the way we get our news, find out about new brands, and perhaps, even get parenting tips and inspiration.

Mommy Influencers are not the Same as Influencers Who are Moms

My Instagram feed right now has some amazing local moms that I follow religiously. I look forward to their posts, sympathizing with them and learning from them. And then there are some others who are influencers with big followings, who just happen to be moms too. Don’t get me wrong, any mom should be free to talk about her experiences as a parent on a social platform but my issue lies with a few particular ones who are spreading their messages to a very large audience. And I don’t agree and/or feel very uncomfortable with what they have to say.

How Real is too Real?

Authenticity is the buzz word of the moment. And I’m all for it. If I try a product and don’t like it then I’ll tell the truth. If I’m sent free samples I’ll be the first to admit it. And when it comes to being a mom, we all know it’s not all roses and sunshine. There are hard days. Days when you spend an extra two minutes in the bathroom just to collect your thoughts and take a deep breath.

But these particular mommy influencers in question are giving the impression that taking care of their kids is the most annoying thing. When their kids are nagging them in the middle of an insta-story they simply ignore them. How can it be so obvious to me (and not to them) that all their kid wants is for mommy to get off of her phone and give them a little attention? Is this a message that they should be sharing with their huge follower base, making it seem ok to prioritize their social media lives before their family lives?

Raising the Next Generation

I’m anything but a perfect parent. I’ve certainly taken a few seconds (or even a minute) to detach myself from my phone to answer to a whining child. But I don’t document that moment to the world. Or say how annoying they are to their faces. I want by kids to be strong, and feel loved. I’m scared for this next generation of kids raised my social media star moms who think life should be lived through mommy’s iPhone. What kind of people will they turn out to be? How will my kids be influenced by them and how will the already alarmingly high social media/depression correlation stat rise for this next generation?

Am I alone here? Or has anyone else noticed a slew of influencers, who happen to have kids, that are giving the hardest job in the world a really bad image?