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Can have negative impact on mental health

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Can have negative impact on mental health

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Companies using influencers to advertise certain drinks that will make you skinny in a week by drinking them. For example, Khloe Kardashian advertised skinny tea whose audience is younger. However, these drinks are harmful. These adverts can affect young people's mental health as it may lead them to believe that they should look like that.

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I have researched in different pages and I have watched some videos, and my conclusion is that social influencers are being well used by brands. The different brands have some advertising laws influencers have to take into account as well as influencers have recommendations to take into account when participating with brands. As well, the different social medias have their policies, that if they are not followed, they have the right to delete the publications.

On the other hand, we can find some associations that control publications of adverts people do, these are called CAP & ASA.

The ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) is the UK´s independent advertising regulator and it makes sure ads across UK media stick to the advertising rules.

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The documentary clearly shows under influencers feel pressured by brands to maintain and engage their following. Despite this, influencers are being depended on by others to help them with their mental health.

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When it comes to isolation, the struggle is real. It doesn't matter how many loaves of banana bread you bake, or how many times you try to perfect the ultimate sourdough starter...one's mind seems to relentlessly return to the fact we're on week eight of a god-knows-how-long quarantine, shut off from the world, disconnected from reality.

Without rubbing too much salt in the wound, studying for three Open University degrees and starting every single day with a 6am meditation class on Zoom isn't necessarily going to be what brings you back to the land of the living. For some (let's be honest, most) of us, productivity in a world of complete passiveness, is really tough to broach right now.

It's clear that not being able to live our normal lives can have a pretty negative impact on our mental health - so much so, that on the day after lockdown was initiated here in the UK, a study reported a 36% rise in anxiety.

If you've found your way to this article, you're probably sick of being told to keep calm and carry on - but, thankfully, you'll find no preachy internet pastors here. This list is a compilation album of the most soothing voices on Instagram and beyond, it's the influencer mixtape that will do your mental health wonders. We get it - it's pretty hard to see a silver lining right now, but uplifting content does still exist, and not everyone will make you want to throw your phone out the window and become a hermit.

Whether it's Lizzo serenading our feeds with her outstanding flute work, Scarlett Curtis doing her make-up whilst discussing her mental health, or Charlie Mackesy making us all cry therapeutic tears with his wonderful drawings, there's bound to be someone on this list who'll help put a smile on your face. This is our Mental Health Awareness week gift to you, so without further ado, our top twelve influencers to soothe your lockdown woes!

WHAT? The godfather of VERY good captions. Frankly, if there was no one else on Instagram, only Matt and his somehow perfectly constructed thoughts about anxiety, depression and life, it would never feel like an empty place. In a world of constant comparison culture and the disease to please, Matt's sentences speak volumes about the importance of slowing down and focusing on what makes you happy. Low key could be prophet...

WHAT? Okay fine, she's not exactly an "influencer"... she's more of a global megastar, but we STAN this Queen of cool, Lizzo, who went live on Instagram to offer a refreshing response to the mass panic with a live meditation session, including a soothing play of the flute to help ease anxiety. Dreamy.

WHAT? Briefly, she's an outstanding writer, producer and poet, and online, she's a godsent. We're just going to leave this caption of Charly's here: "This is me reminding you that you should still be using the NHS for your mental illness. Please still book in your appointments, please still ask for your meds to be revised if you think something is wrong, please remember that what you are living with has not depleted in importance because of COVID. My GP a few weeks ago called to say she hadn't heard from me and when I said I'd felt guilty she put things back into perspective - 'You also have something that has the potential to kill you, so it is still my priority.' You are worthy of help."

WHAT? If anything comes out of this lockdown, we seriously hope Charlie Mackesy writes an autobiography - his words, life and art are fascinating, and for such adventure, surprisingly comforting. Instagram wise, Charlie is definitely in the realm of Matt Haig, with his gorgeously simple and cosy captions, but this time next to beautiful blue brushstrokes, that often take the shape of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse. First, follow him on Instagram, then buy his book: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse on Amazon. Next, devour it in one sitting, and realise we're all going to be okay.

WHAT? Amidst the artists, chefs and flautists, we should probably stick some professional help in this list. Nedra is a professional therapist, who uses her Instagram account to share mental health support, but also make it clear that her posts are no substitute for actually visiting a therapist and receiving personalised care. She believes that social media can help destigmatise the idea of therapy, especially when it comes to minority communities. Nedra's feed is all about developing a better grasp of mental health issues and learning how to reach out to professionals. If you're someone who responds well to informed advice, Nedra's the one for you!

WHAT? 2015's winner of The Great British Bake Off isn't necessarily going to be your first port of call for mental health help - but she should be, and here's why: the best kind of support is often the support that doesn't present itself as "support". With a feed full of wholesome bowls of #chickensoupforthesoul, you'll soon come to realise that cooking isn't just cooking. With Nadiya, cooking is: "process, anticipation, sticky fingers, excitement, crunchy, soft, yummy... home."

WHAT? Beth is an influencer and illustrator who uses her - very adorable - art to address mental health in a relatable way. She has more of a minimalistic style, that is genius-ly simple in the way it never diminishes the impact of her creations. She's the illustrator behind numerous works, including, "I Guess I'll Write It Down" and "I Can't Wait to Cancel This." Who knows, maybe she'll inspire you the put pen to paper, and make the most of that art GCSE?!

WHAT? Former monk, a drug-addled adolescence, a sudden spiritual encounter and huge success as a motivational speaker - the introduction of Jay Shetty reads like the synopsis of a Hollywood film featuring a young Leonardo DiCaprio. We know we promised zero preachers in this article, but there's something oddly soothing about Jay Shetty, despite his chaotic - and very LA - energy. Aside from being genuinely quite inspiring, his story is fascinating. File under 'mental health support wild card'.

WHAT? If you have WhatsApp, and you haven't been sent the video about 'The Great Realisation', are you really in lockdown? Just like 'The Great Realisation' - a short video set in the future that tells the story of 2020 post lockdown realisation that we need to live more, and actually enjoy our lives - writer and sustainable style consultant Aja's feed will help you see the bigger picture. Right now, most of her posts ask: once this storm has passed, how do we want to live? By thinking about the future right now, we can try to make the world a more positive place. It's time to get hopeful, people.

WHAT? The activist, author and influencer is a long-standing mental health campaigner - one of our favourites, in fact - and is getting her followers talking by sharing her own story of struggle, whilst simultaneously getting glammed up. We are 100% here for this kind of genius content, and tbh there is nothing more ASMR that watching someone swirl their face with a fluffy brush.

WHAT? Can we get a 'hell yeah' for the multiple memes shared by Bryony that remind us it's okay not to be at our most productive during a ******* global pandemic?! Mental health campaigner, author, and journalist Bryony has long been working wonders for our mental health, (it was on her podcast that Prince Harry spoke about having therapy for the first time) but it's her recent posts that are giving us a much-needed dose of realness right now.

WHAT? In 2017, Brooklynite and filmmaker Elyse Fox founded Sad Girls Club - an online and IRL community where women, particularly women of colour, can talk openly about mental health without stigma. Elyse also released a documentary about her battle with depression and regularly contributes to Broadly, discussing her struggles in a very raw and comforting way. Elyse's feed is like a understanding hug - get scrolling, immediately.

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Mental Health Awareness Week: The Influencers Getting us Through Lockdown - Connects

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When it comes to isolation, the struggle is real. It doesn't matter how many loaves of banana bread you bake, or how many times you try to perfect the ultimate sourdough starter...one's mind seems to relentlessly return to the fact we're on week eight of a god-knows-how-long quarantine, shut off from the world, disconnected from ...

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Influencers are emotionally connected to what they endorse

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Influencers are emotionally connected to what they endorse

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This article discusses how social media influencers are effectively used by brands where there is an emotional connection to what they are endorsing.

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Abstract

While the literature related to this topic has predominantly focused on investigating the influence mechanism that social media influencers (SMIs) impose over their followers, less is known about their attachment mechanism. Given that social media platforms were originally designed to facilitate personal bonding and not product or brand recommendations, we posited that social media followers' emotional attachment to SMIs is an important precedent that affects the followers' behavioral inclination to accept the SMIs' endorsements. We thus drew new attention to the relationship between SMIs and their followers by focusing on their attachment development mechanism and its casual factors and effects. In doing so, Study 1 inductively analyzed the key causal factors, both with respect to SMI persona- and content-driven attributes, that make followers feel attached to SMIs. By integrating the findings of Study 1 with the human brand theory, Study 2 provided empirical evidence after analyzing 325 U.S. consumers' responses about how SMIs' personas (i.e., inspiration, enjoyability, and similarity) and content curation abilities (i.e., informativeness) affected followers to perceive the SMIs as human brands who fulfill their needs for ideality, relatedness, and competence-all of which resulted in an intense attachment to SMIs. It was this positive emotion shaped with SMIs that transferred to SMIs' endorsements and positively influenced the followers to acquire the products/brands that the SMIs recommended.

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Influencer marketing: Social media influencers as human brands attaching to followers and yielding positive marketing results by fulfilling needs

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While the literature related to this topic has predominantly focused on investigating the influence mechanism that social media influencers (SMIs) impose over their followers, less is known about their attachment mechanism.

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It is the platforms which are superficial 

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It is the platforms which are superficial 

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This is a really interesting video that argues that it is the platforms which distort the truth and people need to realise that it is fake.

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The Truth About Social Media Influencers | Let's Get Real

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People trust social media influencers more than brands

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People trust social media influencers more than brands

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Influencers can harm a brand's reputation  

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Influencers can harm a brand's reputation  

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According to McGarth, 2020 77% of 16-24year olds which follow influencers have bought products because an influencer has either used or promoted it, making this one of the most powerful digital marketing methods

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during the COVID-19 pandemic the UK government used influencers in order to promote the use of the test and trace service and it is suggested by a government spokesman that through using these influencers “over 7 million people have been reached” (BBC, 2020).

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during the COVID-19 pandemic the UK government used influencers in order to promote the use of the test and trace service and it is suggested by a government spokesman that through using these influencers “over 7 million people have been reached” (BBC, 2020).

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Demonstrates how Influencers can be used responsibly to engage with the younger demographic to actively help the wider nation

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-       Grey and YouGov - 96% of people in the UK do not trust what influencers say (The Drum, 20221)

-       However, 6 in 10 teenagers would listen to influencers as a role model (Parry, 2021) This could be dangerous during ‘self-identity’ growth phase.

-       Can lead to social comparison which brings issues such as mental health, promotion of self harm and suicide. (BBCPanorama, 2019)

-       Younger people particularly can be easily influenced which can have detrimental impacts on things such as body image (unrealistic average) – Not always an ethical way to market a product/service.

-  The internet and social media is often difficult to regulate in terms of comparison to other marketing tools e.g. skinnycoffeeclub and social media companies do not take responsibility.

-       However, this is a great marketing tool in terms of reaching vast numbers of people quickly. Followers are likely to look up to the influencer, making persuasion easier as the individual wants to relate to or ‘be like’ the influencer.

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Although advertising laws are in place in the UK and are enforced by the ASA, it isn't always successful. As shown in the Panorama video, the internet is worldwide and so the issue of jurisdiction can hold enforcement back. Brands are therefore using influencers responsibly to an extent, as there are still some brands, and influencers themselves, who do not follow these regulations. Unfortunately, I think it's mainly the consumers' responsibility to be informed about influencer marketing, which can be done by reviewing the ASA advice pages (ASA, 2022).

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To gain more sponsorships a lot of influencers may lie about a products effectiveness, especially when it comes to beauty products. This may include using filters, airbrushing, etc., which gives a false image and installs unrealistic results. Pressure from the brand of even the influencer themselves maybe be pushing them to modify the products results to make sure that they are able to gain more sponsorships in the future. By having a positive effect on a products sales in a their portfolio, they can present to other brands to gain more sponsorships and even partnerships with a brand.

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Filters should not be applied to social media adverts if they exaggerate the effect of the product, the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled.

The ASA was responding to the #filterdrop campaign that called for it to be compulsory for influencers to state when they use a beauty filter to promote skincare or cosmetics.

Sasha Pallari, who started the campaign, said she was "over the moon".

The ASA said filtered beauty content could be "misleading".

Miss Pallari, 29, from Weston-super-Mare, said she started #filterdrop in July 2020 in the hope of seeing "more real skin" on Instagram.

The use of filters on social media is a widely debated issue, attracting the attention of not only celebrities and social media influencers but also MPs.

The ASA examined two examples of where filters had been added to videos shared by influencers advertising tanning products, adding that the outcome of these rulings would apply to all UK brands, influencers and celebrities.

They were: two Instagram stories for Skinny Tan Ltd and one for Tanologist Tan which was banned for applying a filter that "misleadingly exaggerated the effect the product was capable of achieving".

It ruled the ads in both cases were likely to have misled consumers.

It said the ruling means that brands, influencers and celebrities should not apply filters to photos that promote beauty products if the filters are likely to exaggerate the effect the products are capable of achieving.

The ASA said that filtered beauty content could still be misleading, even if the name of the filter was referenced in the Instagram story.

Ads that break these rules would be taken down and prohibited from appearing again, which was likely to damage the advertiser and influencer's reputation, the ASA said.

A spokesman said: "An ongoing focus of our work in this area continues to be on raising awareness of the rules and supporting influencers with the guidance and tools they need to help get their ads right.

"We're also working closely with the social media platforms who can and will enforce our rulings where an advertiser is unwilling or able to work with us."

Miss Pallari said: "I feel like the detrimental effect this is having on social media users has finally been taken seriously and this is a huge step in the right direction for how filters are used and the way cosmetics are advertised online."

She said it was an issue she had been passionate about for a long time and she received messages "every day" from women struggling to match the beauty standards in real life that they see online.

"I can now help make a difference to how these women view themselves in the mirror and that's amazing," she said.

Molly Nutt, 20, has been following Miss Pallari's campaign and welcomed the ruling, adding that much of her life has "revolved around filters".

"Filters with names like 'Pretty Girl', with blue eyes, bigger lips and a smaller nose, that just implies what you should look like, and not everybody is going to look like that," she said.

"Not everyone is an expert at make-up... and then with the filters as well it enhances it even more... I can't match up to how they look on Instagram.

"Most days I couldn't even leave the house without putting on make-up, but now I don't care as much... Sasha has made me feel more at ease with who I am and that I'm not an alien because of the way I look."

With more than 900,000 followers on Instagram, model and influencer Rahi Chadda, said he "completely agrees" with the ruling but is concerned about how it will be policed.

"Having this ruling is a step in the right direction," he said.

"The logistics though will definitely be a point of concern for the majority of influencers, because what is the definition of a filter?

"When we are talking about filters, are we talking about lighting, special effects, make-up before promoting a product... in that way most pictures on social media will be naturally filtered... you have already glorified the product in such a way before it is reaching the audience.

"They are going to have to be a lot clearer about what they mean by a filter and where we draw the line."

When Miss Pallari set out on her campaign, she said she wanted to see three outcomes: to encourage as many women as possible to not depend on filters, for the ASA to demand that social media influencers and celebrities must state if they have used a filter when promoting cosmetics and to get face-changing and morphing filters removed from Instagram.

She said with two of her aims achieved, she would fight to get face-altering filters removed from Instagram altogether.

"There's no point coming this far, to only come this far," she said.

"How can Instagram agree to remove filters that promote plastic surgery, but not filters that alter your shape - how else are we going to alter our face without plastic surgery?"

The most recent celebrity to speak out about face-altering filters is former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson.

She took to her Instagram feed on Tuesday to encourage her 7.6m followers to embrace their natural looks.

The 29-year-old said while she "loves a little Instagram filter that makes you look a bit more tanned or your skin a bit fresher", she does not understand why most filters alter her appearance, giving her a "tiny nose and huge lips".

She went on: "I don't understand why Instagram feels the need to squash your nose and make it really skinny. What's wrong with a standard nose?

"I'm so confused why whoever makes these filters think that is what beauty is?"

Responding to the ASA ruling, Skinny Tan said it had since reviewed its guidelines on the user-generated content it chose to share on social media.

"We do not encourage the use of beauty filters that exaggerate or provide a misleading impression of the results our products can achieve," a spokeswoman said.

"Whilst we were disappointed with the ASA ruling, as the intention behind the particular Instagram stories in question was not to mislead but rather to share her positive comments and experience with using our products, we do fully understand our responsibility as a brand to protect consumer interests.

A spokesperson for Tanologist said it was disappointed but respected the ASA's ruling, although it had not used the content on its brand account.

"The influencer content in question demonstrated before and after self-tan product results.

"The 'after' content - which depicted the results of the self-tan product - did not have a filter applied."

When approached for comment about the #filterdrop campaign and the ASA ruling, Instagram declined to comment, but the BBC understands that brands, celebrities and influencers are asked to comply with CMA and ASA guidance on sponsored social media posts.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

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Influencers told not to use 'misleading' beauty filters

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Filters should not be applied to social media adverts if they exaggerate the effect of the product, the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled. The ASA was responding to the #filterdrop campaign that called for it to be compulsory for influencers to state when they use a beauty filter to promote skincare or cosmetics.

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are online influencers being used responsibly?

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are online influencers being used responsibly?

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According to Dipboye et al., 1977,  physical attractiveness can infer qualities of credibility, such as being well informed and logical.
Companies clearly use this to their advantage as most influencers we see are very attractive.
Are they a true representation of people who are buying the product? probably not, therefore it can be argued that it is irresponsible.

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We can't truly trust Influencers because they can't truly be controlled in what they post.

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We can't truly trust Influencers because they can't truly be controlled in what they post.

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Influencers are drastically different from traditional advertising. When marketing through influencers companies exploit the relationships they already have with their followers. You can say that they are popular due to being third party and not directly affiliated with the brand.
But exactly because they are third party and work in the unprofessional social media space they can act in ways that hurt the brand by association. The BBC panorama gives examples of influencers that market untrustworthy sites or products one does not want to associate with like gambling and alcohol. Another aspect that comes to mind are political opinions and actions of influencers. Joe Rogan for example seemed like a safe bet for Spotify but is now under heavy fire for what he said. It can be said that influencers are extremely unpredictable and can benefit with their advertising just as much as they can damage.

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Million Pound Selfie Sell Off - Panorama

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Some influencers can have damaging effects on society

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Some influencers can have damaging effects on society

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By promoting items that they have no idea  what ingredients they have in, or what they can do to your body can have a huge effect on the younger, easily influenced generations.

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These 3 Influencers Were Tricked Into Auditioning To Promote A Diet Drink With Cyanide In It

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Influencers can be trusted to an extent...

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Influencers can be trusted to an extent...

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Social media influencers can be trusted when promoting products to an extent as long as they have history of actually using the product personally. The article linked by Forbes highlights this which states that "62% of respondents agreed that it was unethical for influencers to promote products that they haven't used and 82% of respondents said social media influencers should absolutely disclose any history of personal use when promoting a product"

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Beautiful young woman holding beauty products and smiling while making social media video
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The "influence" that social media influencers have is already quite powerful, but it is only likely to grow in the coming years. According to recent studies influencer marking is expected to reach $15 billion by 2022.

That was the finding of recent Business Insider Intelligence estimates, based on Mediakik data - but the report also noted that the market is one in constant flux, and brands must continue to evolve strategies accordingly to stay relevant.

A bigger concern for consumers isn't who is doing the influencing, but whether we can trust the influence they have when it comes to marketing products. Currently there is almost no oversight on how influencers operate - despite the fact that they are paid for their "work" on social media platforms.

Trust for influencers may be waning however, at least when it comes to the products that influencers are touting on social media. Influencers need to do their due diligence if they want to remain influential. According to a report from Influence.co, on average 61% of respondents said influences should research the products or services they shared on their platforms.

However, 78% of respondents even said it was appropriate for influencers to share their own products on social media, while 72% suggested it was appropriate for influencers to share products in general - even if they were paid to promote it.

Yet, 62% of respondents agreed that it was unethical for influencers to promote products that they didn't actually use themselves. Moreover, 82% of respondents said social media influencers should absolutely disclose any history of personal use when promoting a product, while 77% agreed that influencers should also disclose any side effects the products may have.

"Never has Marshall McLuhan's famous phrase 'The medium is the message' been more apropos than with today's social media," said James R. Bailey, professor of leadership at the George Washington University School of Business.

"McLuhan asserted that the method of communication was as important as the communication itself in that it determined 'the scale and form of human association and action,'" added Bailey.
To Trust Or Not To Trust
Even as the studies note that trust is falling, influencers are still wielding a whole lot of influence. Does this mean we should put more trust in them?

"Whether we should or should not, a lot of us do," said Dr. Leilani Carver-Madalon, assistant professor in the Master's in Strategic Communication and Leadership Online Program at Maryville University.

"A 2019 study reported in Adweek found that 49.2% of respondents actively 'followed' social media influencers and another 13.5% 'sort of' followed influencers," Carver-Madalon added. "This study also found that 49.3% had made a purchase based upon an influencer's recommendation and that 44.2% of respondents generally trust the recommendations from influencers. The most surprising finding was that 33.5% of respondents felt there was a future for virtual (computer generated) AI influencers like Lil Miquela (@lilmiquela). This surprised me as I would think that there would be little or no trust in a computer generated avatar that was created to be a marketing tool."
Paid Promotion
Progress is being made - and last month the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a new publication specifically for online influencers, which lays out the agency's rules of the road for when and more importantly how influencers must disclose sponsorships to their respective followers.

The " Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers" guide is meant to provide influencers with tips from the FTC staff about the need for disclosure when promoting a product - and it includes examples of both effective and ineffective disclosures. This includes the words influencers should consider using, as well as where in the posts a disclosure should appear.

One key take away from the guide is that this disclosure isn't optional in the least. The guide noted:

"As an influencer, it's your responsibility to make these disclosures, to be familiar with the Endorsement Guides, and to comply with laws against deceptive ads. Don't rely on others to do it for you."
Failure To Trust
Even with the FTC's guidelines many people don't believe everything that paid influencers have to say.

"The question is not so much whether the content can be trusted, but whether the medium can," said Bailey. "Surely the content can't be trusted. The content is authored by untrained, often anonymous sources, is based on hearsay, and it rife with swaggering opinion. As such, it is almost entirely unverifiable and un-credible. McLuhan would argue that the medium should be the focus of study."

The other part of it is the way that influencers spread their influence.

"Electronic devices like computers, tablets, cell phones, and the like, allow contact without connection," said Bailey. "The medium separates people from one another. It equally allows bullying and deceit. The nature of the medium allows for the intentional or unintentional distortion of the message. It's a lot harder to lie to another's face than it is to lie to the disembodied electronic person."
Influencers in 2020
Even without the FTC rules in place, the days of the celebrity influencer could be coming to an end.

"Word on the street with most millennials is that the whole world of influencer marketing is grayscale and there is no more trust," said Josh Crandall, principal analyst at Netpop Research. "Situations like Khloe Kardashian's promotion of Tummy Flat Tea have exposed the back-office relationships that celebrities and other internet stars have with the products they are pimping. When tech savvy youth are scrolling their social media feeds on a constant basis, they are quick to discern what's fact and what's fiction. At this point, they have seen so many YouTube videos or IG stories of people hyping a product but who are obviously uncomfortable using it that they tune out most product related posts immediately."

So what does the influencer need to do to stay relevant in the dawn of the 2020s and beyond?

" Moore, Yang and Kim (2018) found that influencers need to display authenticity, likability and authority to create trust with followers," said Carver-Madalon.

"Whether or not we trust a social media influencer depends foremost upon their credibility," she added. "The importance of credibility can be traced all the way back to Aristotle and the importance of ethos.If a social media influencer violates their ethos they will lose the trust of their followers and will lose their influence."
Better Transparency
One reason the question of trust of influencers remains is the current lack of transparency between influencers and organizations.

"Transparency is key to trust as influencers are required by the FTC to disclose when there is a material relationship between the influencer and a brand," said Carver-Madalon. "Yet, there is little or no enforcement from the FTC regarding failure to disclose, which happens at an alarming rate in a $4.5 Billion dollar industry, as Bladlow (2018) addresses in the William and Mary Law Review. While some influencers do disclose their endorsements and sponsorships, others do not and this lack of transparency should raise son me red flags."

But trust online isn't just about influencers - more and more Americans are now skeptical of everything online.

"Maybe it's a sign of the times," admitted Crandall. "People seem to trust information from the Internet less - especially when it involves any type of product placement or advertising. Breaking through the noise with an authentic and truthful message is harder than ever for today's marketer."

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The "influence" that social media influencers have is already quite powerful, but it is only likely to grow in the coming years. According to recent studies influencer marking is expected to reach $15 billion by 2022.

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Transparency within social media advertisement

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Transparency within social media advertisement

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They don't have a direct trust with the brand therefore this can't be a true representation of what the organisation has to offer. Financially driven, many brands are not concerned for the transparency of its products and only recognize the sales each advertisement campaign achieves. Over recent times influencers have become more inclined to highlight when they are endorsing products. Institutions such as CMA and ASA aim to regulate posts to ensure that clear evidence is provided to help consumers identify which posts are independent opinions or advertisements.

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Note: This advice is given by the CAP Executive about non-broadcast advertising. It does not constitute legal advice. It does not bind CAP, CAP advisory panels or the Advertising Standards Authority.

Various types of ads can appear on social media, from posts on a brand's own feed to 'affiliate' or 'advertorial' posts that have been published by an influencer. This advice article focuses on the latter (i.e., influencer 'advertorial' content) - for content on a brand's social media profile (including brands owned by influencers), as well as paid-ads on social media, see 'Recognising ads: Brand-owned and paid social ads'. For advice on affiliate marketing see 'Online affiliate marketing'.

Section 2 of the CAP Code requires that marketing communications are obviously identifiable as such. Many ads and other marketing communications are obviously recognisable as advertising purely by virtue of their content and the context in which they appear e.g., ads in newspapers, 'promoted' posts on social media, leaflets, posters on billboards, etc. One type of advertising that is less readily identifiable, due to its close resemblance to surrounding 'editorial' content, is influencer marketing on social media.

There isn't a particular number of followers needed or a specific occupation that would make someone an 'influencer'. Though they may be named differently on certain platforms or in regulatory frameworks, e.g., 'bloggers', 'streamers', 'celebrities' or 'content creators', the ASA typically defines an influencer as any human, animal or virtually produced persona that is active on any online social media platform, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch, YouTube, and others.

Influencer marketing is also not restricted to social media, but it's certainly the most popular media for influencers. The ASA's research on labelling influencer marketing found that social media users really struggle to tell apart advertising content from non-advertising content in this space, especially (but not only) when influencers use the same editorial style for both types of content. This is not all that surprising when you consider that most users are scrolling through a vast amount of content, at pace, swiftly moving from one piece of content to the next, within their already busy lives. When influencers and brands seek to seamlessly blend editorial and advertising, the onus is not on the consumer to do the work to establish when they are engaging with an ad - that is the responsibility of brands and influencers. It's, therefore, especially important for those involved in influencer marketing to take particular care to ensure their advertising is obviously recognisable as such.

Know when you're advertising

It's important to have a clear understanding of when content posted on social media counts as 'advertising'. If it falls within the ASA's remit, there are many different rules that could apply depending on the types of claims and on the product being advertised.
If you are an influencer, or a brand/agency working with one, and have a question around whether a piece of social media content is advertising that needs be disclosed as such, please use our self-help tool here.
Whenever a brand gives an influencer a payment or any other incentive (requested or unsolicited), or an influencer is otherwise personally or commercially connected to the brand (e.g., owner, employee, shareholder, director or have any other commercial or personal interest), any content featuring or referring to the brand will need to be obviously identifiable as advertising. This is a requirement under consumer protection law, enforced by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Trading Standards Services. The CMA has published advice on this and . There's further advice on what counts as payment here and on page 5 of our 'Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads'.

When a third-party brand also has 'editorial control' over the content, the ASA can also take action under the CAP Code. Further guidance on this can be found in our advice on 'Remit: Advertisement features' and in our 'Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads'. When a particular 'advertorial' is found to breach the CAP Code, both the publisher (i.e., the influencer) and the brand will be named in the ASA ruling.

Where an influencer is promoting their own brand or products that they've collaborated in the creation of, such content falls within the scope of the CAP Code as it amounts to marketing content by the brand in non-paid for space online under their control, that is directly connected with the supply of goods, services, opportunities, or gifts. Further guidance on this can be found in our advice on 'Remit: Own websites', 'Remit: Social media', 'Recognising ads: Brand-owned and paid social media' and in our 'Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads'.

The CAP Code also applies to 'affiliate marketing' - a type of performance-based marketing where an influencer receives a commission for clicks/sales generated by a personalised link or code. When an influencer includes an affiliate link or code in their content, they are acting as an advertiser since they are earning commission based on the interest they generate in a product. This means that any content referring to a product for which there's also an affiliate link/code, will count as advertising. When the ASA assesses marketing content created by 'affiliates', they typically consider the brand at least jointly responsible - regardless of whether they were aware or had control over the specific content. For further guidance on this see 'Online Affiliate Marketing' and our 'Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads'.

Though the ASA and CAP accept there are differences between the underlying commercial arrangements behind 'advertorial', 'affiliate marketing' and 'own brand' promotion, the rules apply equally to all forms of marketing communication (including the requirement for them to be obviously identifiable as 'ads').

For further guidance see our 'Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads'.

Ensure influencer marketing is obviously identifiable

In contrast to content on a brand's own social media page, when an influencer talks about a particular brand it isn't self-evident whether they are expressing an independent opinion or whether they have been incentivised to do so by the brand. This is why it's important for influencer ads to be clearly and obviously distinguished from other content.

As the ASA's research on labelling influencer marketing found that people really struggle to identify when social media posts by influencers are ads, at a minimum, the ASA is likely to expect such content to include a prominent 'ad' label upfront (which usually means 'at the beginning') to highlight that a post is a marketing communication. The audience should be able to recognise immediately when content is advertising, without having to click or otherwise interact with it, and they shouldn't need any special knowledge or have to figure it out.

In terms of where a label needs to be, this depends on the nature and format of the content and the platform it appears on. It must be prominent enough that consumers will easily notice it and early enough that they will do so before they click on anything or otherwise engage with, or watch, the content. Burying a label in list of hashtags at the end, putting it in a colour that contrasts poorly with the background (Emma Louise Connolly in assoc. w/ Calzedonia, 18 August 2021) or placing it 'under the fold' where consumers would need to click 'See more' to expand the post (Zoe de Pass t/a Dress Like A Mum, 20 November 2019), won't be sufficient. Any label also needs to be visible regardless of the device used, so it's important to bear in mind how a post will look when accessed via desktop, mobile and in-app.

In addition to being obvious enough to be easily, and immediately, noticed - any label must also be understood by the audience. This means that it's important to use clear and simple language that consumers are likely to be familiar with - and avoid abbreviations or 'industry jargon'. Not everyone is a social media marketer, a content creator, or an advertising legal professional - nor should they have to be.

The ASA (and the CMA) prefer labels that explicitly call out the content as 'advertising' e.g., 'Ad'. It's not necessary to use a '#' as part of the label, provided it is prominent and clearly separate from any other content. In the absence of any evidence of a more effective label for such content, this will usually be considered the most appropriate label. This applies to all types of marketing content, from a post about a gifted product all the way through to a brand collaboration but brands and influencers are also free to include further information about the type of 'ad' the content is - provided it's clear that it's an 'ad' upfront and any additional words or explanations will be understood by the average person.

Both brands and influencers are responsible for ensuring that ads are obviously identifiable, so both need to ensure that the ads they create can be easily distinguished from the influencer's independent posts.

For further guidance see our ' Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads '.

Make sure the label's meaning is clear

It's not enough to merely indicate that an influencer marketing post is somehow different from other, organic posts. As well as standing out from the other posts, it needs to be clear that its 'advertising' and any label used needs to make that explicitly clear.

The CAP Code specifically refers to "Advertisement Feature" as an appropriate label for 'advertorial' content and "Ad", "Advert", "Advertising", "Ad Feature" and similar are all very likely to be considered acceptable by the ASA (with or without a '#' - but it may be necessary to highlight the label in some way to ensure that it's noticeable e.g. put it in brackets or add an asterisk either side).

Many brands and influencers have been found in breach of the Code for not including any identifying labels in their influencer posts - needless to say, not making any attempt at disclosure is very likely to be problematic. In several cases, content has only included an "@ mention" or tagging of the brand, but these were not considered by the ASA to be sufficient to identify the post as an ad (Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Ltd t/a Playstation, 21 December 2022; Prettylittlething.com Ltd, 7 April 2021; Boohoo.com UK Ltd in assoc. /w Luke Mabbott, 10 February 2021; Prettylittlething[dot]com Ltd, 8 January 2020; Brooks Brothers UK Ltd, 18 September 2019; The White Star Key Group Ltd, 31 July 2019; Warpaint Cosmetics (2014) Ltd t/a W7, 3 October 2018). In these cases, the influencers and brands were told to include a clear and prominent identifier such as "#ad" in future.

Because the term "sponsored" is open to varied interpretation, we advise against using this label to refer to advertising. The ASA have previously ruled that this descriptor was insufficient in a number of different contexts, including in influencer marketing (Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd, 18 November 2015).

Labels like "Supported by", "Funded by", "Gifted", "In association with..." and "Thanks to X for making this possible" are also unlikely to be considered sufficiently clear (Mondelez UK Ltd, 26 November 2014). Similarly, the ASA have ruled that "#BrandAmbassador" and "#[BrandName]Ambassador" does not adequately convey the nature of the content (Emma Louise Connolly in assoc. w/ Calzedonia, 18 August 2021; Cocoa Brown. 07 August 2019). It is also unlikely to be sufficient to rely solely on statements like "my collection", "our WEDIT", "we created together", "my @[brand] edit", or "#iworkwith[brand]" in most contexts (Never Fully Dressed Ltd, 30 November 2022; Next Retail Ltd, 2 November 2022; Primark Stores Ltd, 27 October 2021; Missguided Ltd, 14 April 2021; Genus UK Ltd t/a Select Fashion, 31 March 2021).

Abbreviated labels such as "aff", "sp", "spon" and other terms that consumers are unlikely to be familiar with (or interpret to mean 'advertising') - like "affiliate" - are also likely to be considered insufficient (Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd, 18 November 2015). The ASA's research found that understanding of labels like this was particularly low amongst consumers, and this finding was reflected in a 2020 ruling that an Instagram Story containing the standalone label "*affiliate" was not sufficient for the Story to be recognisable as an ad (Asos.com Ltd, 22 April 2020). The ASA considered it insufficient not only because it was partially obscured by the "swipe up" button, but also because the term "affiliate" itself was not widely understood by consumers.

The ASA's research also found that posts that included things like discount codes were not recognised as ads by most participants. Consumers would need to read and interpret the discount code to recognise that it was personalised to the influencer, understand the underlying commercial relationship behind the discount code, and take into account wider contextual information in order to potentially appreciate that the content might be advertising. This is inconsistent with the requirement for it be obvious upfront and the ASA have ruled against a number of social media posts with personalised discount codes. While they've considered that the inclusion of a discount code might suggest that the influencer was undertaking promotional activity on behalf of the brand(s), they've concluded that of itself is insufficient to make clear to consumers the nature of the relationship between the parties in the context of social media content (Tara Maynard in assoc. w/ LookFantastic, Hairburst, Elemis and Rodial, 25 January 2023; Relx (UK) Ltd in assoc. /w Louis Shaw, 29 June 2022; Jamella Ltd t/a GHD in assoc. w/ Emily Canham, 4 November 2020; Coco Shine, 27 June 2018; Convits Ltd, 03 January 2018).

Where the platform you're using provides a tool which can label branded content for you, e.g., the 'Paid partnership' tool on Instagram, this may be sufficient if the label is upfront, clear, and prominent when it's added to your content. If you're not sure - for example the label is obscured by the background of your image or doesn't make clear that the content is advertising - you should include an additional 'Ad' label.

For further guidance see our 'Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads'.

Take into account differences between platforms and devices

Brands and influencers need to take care to ensure that advertising posts are obviously identifiable to all consumers who encounter the material - before they engagement with the content - and should bear in mind any limitations and technical 'quirks' on the platform they are using (e.g. any limits on the number of characters, how much is visible and the fact that some social media sites cut off text placed after hashtags or other non-alphanumeric characters).

Irrespective of the differences between platforms, consumers should be made aware that a post is an ad before they engage with it. Where this isn't possible (e.g. if the ad in question 'autoplays'), this needs to be clearly stated as soon as they engage with it (i.e. right at the beginning).

On Twitter, as space is limited, including "Ad" (or similar) at the start of the tweet is potentially the clearest way of identifying it as advertising - though if the tweet is very short it could be considered equally clear when placed at the end, provided it's not buried in amongst other hashtags. Similarly, on Pinterest where the amount of content controlled by the 'pinner' is limited, placing "Ad" or similar at the beginning of the free text 'Description', because only a small portion of this appears without clicking, is likely to be considered acceptable.

Where there is no character limit, for example on Facebook and Instagram, it is likely that most posts will need to include an identifier at the beginning, though very short posts may be considered acceptable if the identifier is placed at the end of the text. It is not, however, acceptable for any disclosure to appear only after clicking 'See more' or otherwise clicking on or expanding a post (Zoe de Pass t/a Dress Like A Mum, 20 November 2019). Video content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok should make their commercial intent clear before consumers click through to watch the video if possible - if not it should made immediately clear from the outset that the content is advertising (Prettylittlething.com Ltd, 7 April 2021; Boohoo.com UK Ltd in assoc. /w Luke Mabbott, 10 February 2021; Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd, 18 November 2015).

On YouTube and similar platforms, it's likely that the title of the video and/or the thumbnail will need, at minimum, to include an identifier such as 'Ad' so that it is clear to consumers before they click to watch the video (Wahoo Fitness (UK) Ltd, 7 March 2018; Mondelez UK Ltd, 26 November 2014).

Influencers and brands should be conscious of the way that content is displayed on different devices, and with different viewing settings. If text that accompanies a video or picture isn't always visible, stating a label such as "Ad" in that text may be considered insufficient, since consumers won't see it until after they've already clicked to engage with the content.

For further guidance see our ' Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads '.

Don't rely solely on the 'bio' or previous posts

Influencer marketing posts should be identifiable as ads without consumers needing prior knowledge of the influencer's commercial relationships. Since social media posts are often viewed in isolation or in newsfeeds, the influencer's 'bio' won't always be visible alongside the post. For this reason, the ASA has ruled that stating in the 'bio' that an influencer is an ambassador for a particular brand isn't sufficient on its own and relevant posts must also make clear when they're advertising (Prettylittlething[dot]com Ltd, 8 January 2020; Warpaint Cosmetics (2014) Ltd t/a W7, 3 October 2018; Platinum Gaming Ltd t/a Unibet, 7 November 2018; Brooks Brothers UK Ltd, 18 September 2019).

The ASA received a complaint about a video post on Olivia Buckland's Instagram page that showed her discussing and applying eye shadow from the W7 Life's A Peach eye colour palette. They noted that Ms Buckland's Instagram 'bio' stated "Ambassador for W7 Cosmetics...", and acknowledged that regular followers were likely to be aware that there was a commercial relationship. However, because Ms Buckland's profile was visible to the public, any posts she published could appear in search results and those posts could easily be viewed in isolation to her profile. As the content of the post itself did not make clear that it was advertising, they concluded that it was not obviously identifiable as a marketing communication (Warpaint Cosmetics (2014) Ltd t/a W7, 3 October 2018).

Similarly, a tweet from the official Twitter account of racecourse trainer Nicky Henderson that stated "We're underway with the jumps and my exclusive @unibet blog is now ready to read ..." and included a link to the blog, was considered problematic. Although Mr Henderson's Twitter profile stated that he was a Unibet Ambassador, the ASA did not consider that this was sufficient to differentiate between tweets that were marketing communication from those that were not and that relevant tweets should have been identified as such (Platinum Gaming Ltd t/a Unibet, 7 November 2018).

Marketers should also not rely on previous posts. An Instagram post on Matthew Zorpas' Instagram for Brooks Brothers was ruled to breach the Code because, although regular followers were likely to be aware that there was a commercial relationship based on his previous posts, as the posts could appear in search results and be viewed in isolation, each individual post needed to make clear it was an ad. While the post contained some elements that indicated there might be a commercial relationship between the parties, they ASA considered that the hashtags referring to the brand were insufficient to ensure that this post was obviously identifiable as an ad, both when viewed in-feed and when viewed in its entirety (Brooks Brothers UK Ltd, 18 September 2019).

Don't forget that the principles apply to 'new' formats too

The rules in the CAP Code are largely 'media-neutral', meaning that the same rules and principles can apply immediately to new platforms or new formats within existing platforms. As long as an ad falls within the broad categories of communication outlined in the 'Scope of the Code', it will need to follow the same rules. The categories are broad and refer to underlying factors like the relationship between a communication and the brand that it refers to, or the broad characteristics of the medium. When the ASA assesses whether an ad falls within its 'remit' (i.e., whether it's able to regulate that material), it looks past the surface differences between different types of ads and bases its assessment on these principles.

As an example, an Instagram story seen on Louise Thompson's page including a video of her showing a brush product and providing a discount offer was considered within remit as Ms Thompson had been contracted through an agency, paid a fee to promote the brand and required to include a promotional code. Ms Thompson responded that she had not been aware that the obligation to make clear when posts are advertising extended to the stories function but, as the ruling shows, the principles of the advertorial definition apply equally across all social media formats (Vanity Planet, 12 September 2018).

Similarly, when they began receiving complaints about content on TikTok, the ASA immediately applied the same rules and principles to advertising on that platform (Prettylittlething.com Ltd, 7 April 2021; Boohoo.com UK Ltd in assoc. /w Luke Mabbott, 10 February 2021; Jamella Ltd t/a GHD in assoc. w/ Emily Canham, 4 November 2020).

Take extra care when targeting children

Younger children (under 12 years old) lack the critical understanding to recognise marketing content that is significantly integrated and/or highly immersive in online environments. This means that when a marketing communication is directed at under-12s (through the selection of media and/or the content), highly immersive or significantly integrated into the surrounding editorial content and unlikely to be identified clearly from the context in which it appears, it will require enhanced disclosure - meaning disclosures should be prominent, interruptive, and adequately indicate the commercial intent as well as the identity of the marketer.

Influencer marketing is, by its nature, significantly integrated into the surrounding editorial content and therefore unlikely to be identified clearly from the context alone. Although most social media platforms require users to be at least 13 years old to sign-up to access the platform, there are some where this is not the case e.g., YouTube. As such, any influencer marketing content that is directed at under-12s is likely to need to do more than simply include an 'ad' label upfront. The ASA is yet to rule on any examples but for further guidance on the principles and examples in other media, see ' Recognising ads: Children '.

Remember that the rest of the Code applies

If something falls within the ASA's remit, it must comply with the Code in its entirety. It therefore should not, amongst other things, materially mislead consumers or cause serious or widespread offence.

Some sections within the CAP Code are sector-specific, which means that ads for particular product types (e.g. Foods, Alcohol, Gambling) must comply with very specific rules, whereas other parts of the Code (e.g. Misleading Advertising, Harm and Offence) apply to all ads irrespective of the product/service they are advertising.

What if it isn't covered by the CAP Code?

It's important to remember that this material, with or without editorial control by the brand, may still be subject to regulation by another regulatory body, such as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) or Trading Standards Services.

If the content doesn't fit any of the definitions in the CAP Code, but it's still been paid for in some way, the CMA requires that this should be indicated to consumers. The CMA has published advice on this and .

See also "Recognising ads: Overview", "Remit: Social media", "Remit: Advertisement Features", "Online Affiliate Marketing", "Recognising ads: Advertisement features". "Recognising ads: Newspapers and magazines". "Recognising ads: Social media and influencer marketing", "Recognising ads: Brand-owned and paid social media", "Recognising ads: Children" and "Recognising ads: Native advertising".

The CAP Advertising Guidance notes on 'Advertisement features' and 'Recognition of advertising: online marketing to children under 12', as well as the 'Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads', also provide further guidance.

More on

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Advertising Standards Authority | Committee of Advertising Practice

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Recognising ads: Social media and influencer marketing

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Note: This advice is given by the CAP Executive about non-broadcast advertising. It does not constitute legal advice. It does not bind CAP, CAP advisory panels or the Advertising Standards Authority. Various types of ads can appear on social media, from posts on a brand's own feed to 'affiliate' or 'advertorial' posts that have been published by an influencer.

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Damaging effects on how people view themselves due to idealised images on social media

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Damaging effects on how people view themselves due to idealised images on social media

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“Influencers often depict their ideas about health, eating, vaccinations or fitness as the new normal, and create an expectation that we need to be doing these things too if we want to keep up.”

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We don't really need a personal Instagram photographer, do we?

Harvey Day

And businesses have begun responding to this trend by offering photography services tailored for people who crave professional-quality shots for their Insta feeds.

The popular tourist hotspot, famous for its shimmering blue reservoir, uploads images directly to visitors' phones so they can post them on Instagram instantly.

Looks like this post is no longer available from its original source. It might've been taken down or had its privacy settings changed.

Thousands of people visit the site every week, despite waiting times of up to six hours.

But these are far from the only examples of how influencer culture is influencing our behaviour.

A photo at the summit of Roy's Peak, in Wanaka, New Zealand, went viral last year after it exposed just how many people visited the 'secluded' spot to secure the perfect social snap.

So is this image-focused influencer culture affecting us for the better or for the worse?

Dr Danielle Wagstaff, a psychology professor at Federation University Australia, told BBC Three that social media and influencer culture can sometimes lead us to "derive a false sense of what everyone else is doing" and that this "can definitely have a negative effect on our mental health and wellbeing."

Essentially, she argues that we tend to compare ourselves to others on social media, which can make us feel like we're simply not good enough. This, in turn, can have a massive impact on our self-esteem and can increase anxiety.

The problem with influencer culture, she says, is that we're being fed a false view of what is normal, in terms of appearance and success, and that our regular old lives just can't compete.

One important way this affects us mere social media mortals is body image.

The ComRes survey of 2,000 British adults for BBC 5 Live also suggested that younger people were more likely to consider having cosmetic surgery.

"Seeing that constantly can make you feel that you are not good enough and that can have an effect on your emotional health."

Influencers can be a real force for good

"This has been very well researched when it comes to, say, young girls and body image. We know for instance that being exposed to idealised body images on social media can change the way women feel about their bodies," added Dr Wagstaff.

"This stretches too to other types of body trends like fitness where we are seeing a spike in fitness influencers who very likely have no training or qualifications themselves.

"Influencers often depict their ideas about health, eating, vaccinations or fitness as the new normal, and create an expectation that we need to be doing these things too if we want to keep up."

It's not all doom and gloom, though, because the researcher thinks influencers can play an important role in spreading positive messages and increasing diversity.

"On the other hand, we see influencers having great positive effects, promoting things like body positivity, spreading messages about speaking out against toxic masculinity, the #MeToo movement which has rapidly changed the way people think about and approach sexual assault, and environmentally conscious movements like veganism," Dr Wagstaff added.

"Rapidly these trends are changing our expectations about our rights, about what we can do to get support, and about it being okay to say you're not okay.

"When we see that other people, just regular people, not necessarily celebrities or traditionally famous people, are living relatable lives - posting about their own body image and mental health struggles - it can help to create a sense of camaraderie, a feeling that 'I'm not alone, other people understand what I'm going through'.

"So I think in that sense influencers can be a real force for good."

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Looks like this post is no longer available from its original source. It might've been taken down or had its privacy settings changed.

Looks like this post is no longer available from its original source. It might've been taken down or had its privacy settings changed.

And if people think they're suffering from the ill effects of social media and influencer culture, Dr Wagstaff recommends taking a break, educating yourself and reaching out to people who can help.

"You can try limiting your exposure to social media every day, a bit like a smoker or drinker cutting back.

"If your life or work is tied up in social media, find some alternative content to follow. This might help to readjust your view of what is normal."

So maybe it's time to reconnect with some of those old school friends you deleted from your social accounts a while back because their lives were too #nofilter.

And next time you go away, consider taking fewer selfies. You might get an even better perspective of the world when not viewed through a lens.

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How we're all being changed by influencer culture - BBC Three

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N/A We don't really need a personal Instagram photographer, do we? Harvey Day And businesses have begun responding to this trend by offering photography services tailored for people who crave professional-quality shots for their Insta feeds. The popular tourist hotspot, famous for its shimmering blue reservoir, uploads images directly to visitors' phones so they can post them on Instagram instantly.

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influencers should be monitored more closely and cautiously 

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influencers should be monitored more closely and cautiously 

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The way influencers have power over our influencer buyer decisions is worrying but the real danger is the way it changes our perceptions of ourselves. Andy warm previous head of research at instagram describes the danger of the amount of social media posts we consume and the fact our brain is not developed enough yet to understand the amount of content and separate reality from a fake constructed post. Therefore the danger of influencers is with the amount of construction and perfection that goes into a content creating ads that aren't real and therefore providing false sense of reality to viewers. For example if a health product is being advertised a influencer can edit their picture to alter their body appearance to promise the viewers a certain body type when this is not the reality. Influencers have way too much freedom over what false messages they portray and should be monitored more, especially by brand collars as it is in their duty as well. The fact that their income is based off of the power of their posts can be negative swell as they will do what is necessary to look like to best fit for the collaboration, which may not always be ethical and honest.

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Social media and influencers effects body image 

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Social media and influencers effects body image 

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Social media has a big effect on how people see themselves. Influencers posting pictures of themselves on their social media gives an unrealistic expectation to the audience. Some influencers have started to post less attractive posts to show the reality and that no one is perfect.

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Taking a look at how social media is evolving and the effects journalism has on body image.

From Facebook and Twitter, to Tumblr and Instagram, social media platforms allow anyone and everyone to post photos of whatever they like - particularly photographs of themselves. Body Positivity, however, is a big topic online today, attempting to tackle the over editing, photoshopped images to let people post who they truly are with confidence. The body ideal has shifted throughout the years, but now, we have hundreds of editing apps available to us to match whatever body shape is "in", with body sculpting and contouring features to edit yourself into so called perfection. All the while, sabotaging our self esteem and making ourselves unhappy with how we really look.

Here, we have a TED Talk where twin sisters discuss the damaging effects that photoshop can have on an individual's self-image.

With all this said, the concept of "Instagram vs. Reality" sounds like a positive new route for influencers to help younger generations grow up without feeling negatively towards themselves, highlighting the fakery that surrounds the Instagram homepage. But is it all that it seems?

On the one hand, a recent content analysis of body positive content on Instagram hashtags, such as #InstagramVsReality and #bodypositivity, shows that these posts do indeed depict a broad range of body sizes and appearances. The content included in these hashtags are selfies of women proudly displaying their belly rolls and cellulite, and the before and after photos of "real" vs "edited" bodies, raising awareness of the common use of Photoshop on Instagram. There are also workout videos of ladies of all shapes and sizes there to motivate and inspire under the 'Instagram vs. Reality' hashtag.

"Bodies that look like this, also look like this" - Mary Skinner, Tiktok Star

A notable example of body positivity content can be found in Danae Mercer, a consistent user of the 'Instagram vs. Reality' hashtag. Danae is an influencer and journalist who has previously suffered from an eating disorder, and she is now on social media exposing common tricks that influencers and celebrities use to create the "perfect" image.

Danae Mercer executes the 'Instagram vs. Reality' trend appropriately in line with its body positive roots. Looking at her Instagram profile, it is clear that she consistently posts similar candid images, promoting a positive outlook of self-love and loving the skin you're in.

She uses the hashtag 'Instagram vs. Reality' on the majority of her posts and really sheds light on the cause, letting her 2.1 million followers know that cellulite, rolls and texture are all part of the natural body. She is using her platform to spread the body positive message, and therefore, her use of the hashtag is genuine, as she really seems to want to break down myths to her audience, and not just use the hashtag as an attempt to seem more "relatable".

Not only is it just one post out of the whole of her feed, it is a consistent stream of posts with the hashtag 'Instagram vs. Reality'. Danae said she wants to "remind people that what we see online is incredibly filtered, posed, and perfected." She poses the questions that society would usually be too afraid to ask, challenging the body ideal, making it easier for her followers to follow in her footsteps.

Social media platforms are a great place to join new communities and find inspiration, but who you choose to follow can impact upon your mental health. For example, following like-minded, body positive influencers will have a better impact on your mental health and how you view yourself, but it is sometimes difficult identifying those people to follow amongst the crowd..

Having an online platform with so many followers holds a lot of responsibility. When you have that many followers, the pressure is on to represent yourself in the best possible way.

Danae Mercer received comments from followers, applauding her Instagram account for helping them through their negative thoughts and self-doubt. Mercer's story has truly resonated with her audience due to the candidness of her posts. "So many women around the world are struggling with body image, mental health, self-confidence in photos, their relationships with social media, the food they eat, consent, all these things, So quite often I get really powerful messages from women just wanting to share their stories. And that's just incredible - it makes me feel really, really grateful" she said.

When searching the hashtag, the name Chessie King appears in many of the top posts. Chessie is a body positive influencer who uses Instagram and her platform to help women with body confidence issues, and improve their outlook of life, rather than dwelling on the image that reflects back in the mirror. Chessie's account is full of side-by-side images, which has now become her staple to demonstrate the ways in which makeup, posing, lighting and angles all manipulate the way we look on Instagram.

Dr Bono informed Bored Panda"I've been doing research on this for several years now and the data I've collected on this topic has shown that the more time people spend on social media, the more likely they are to experience negative outcomes psychologically".

While browsing social media, it takes just moments to see where people have edited their photos and how unrealistic it can be, especially when placed side by side with one another. By having these body positive accounts exposing the ways influencers and celebrities can change the way they look, audiences can then question who they follow. With this information, audiences will hopefully then curate a new feed, which instead promotes body positivity and mental wellbeing.
All images in this scrollmation by Chessie King

Nelly London, a.k.a. 'That girl with the hip dips', is another influencer who is sending out positive, uplifting messages to women everywhere.

Her feed is full of exposed, honest and beautiful images of herself. She normalises her scars, hip dips, cellulite and all the things that make us human, and her page features many lingerie and nude photographs, which her audience love.

Nelly receives many comments from women who have the same body type or similar features to her, and seeing her posts makes these women feel proud of their own bodies, instead of wanting to hide away. Her main message to her audience is to love yourself and everything you've been given.

Despite not using the hashtag 'Instagram vs. Reality', Nelly posts side-by-side images that would typically be found on the trend. Her images are followed by captions, which explicitly tell her followers how photographs can be manipulated by companies to instantly change the way your body looks, and she therefore provides similar insights to those in the 'Instagram vs. Reality' hashtag.

Nelly talks openly about her weight, past eating disorders and general girly chat, which makes her followers feel close to her. When influencers are raw and open in this way, it has the power to influence their audience in a far more positive way and promote healthier habits, pushing the audience to consider being kinder to themselves and change the way they feel towards their own bodies.

Lina Noory is a digital creator with over 362K followers on Instagram and she's posted using the 'Instagram vs. Reality' hashtag. However, she does not convey the same message as body positive influencers such as Danae, as her 'Reality' picture is just an attractive outtake of the 'Instagram' picture; no facial expression and a bit of wind through her hair. Although she may appear to have good intent, as she reminds her audience in the caption to not compare themselves to 'someone's perfectly posted Instagram photo', the post does not feel honest, as she remains glamorous and has used edits and filters, which is not what the hashtag was intended for.

Similarly, Instagram influencer Chloe Haywood posted an 'Instagram vs. Reality' photo where she looks just as attractive in each image.

Again, there is hardly any difference between the photographs; the first 'Instagram' image is simply more posed than the latter 'Reality' image, where the only difference is that she looks happier and in a slightly different position. Both images could easily be used as a normal Instagram post, as neither expose the tricks and editing behind the final photo. Instead, by using another perfect picture as her "Reality" image, Chloe reinforces the unrealistic perfection that is required of users on Instagram in 2020 - as both photographs are 'insta-worthy'. Everyone has their insecurities, so it's not to say that Chloe didn't prefer the first image. However, with such a large following, the trend was used incorrectly and irresponsibly, as she promotes the idea that even "mugshots" should be edited and posed to perfection.

Although both women may have used the hashtag on their posts with good intent, they each still follow the expectations of women and the culture of Instagram perfection, as neither show their audience any real flaw or imperfection. This is where the issue lies in their use of the "Instagram vs. Reality" hashtag.

The trend has also been taken over by some influencers, again not to speak about body positivity, but instead to show 'before and afters' of a normal photo shoot, or 'the outtakes'. Influencer and Youtuber, @_Emilysworld, used the hashtag on this photograph to demonstrate her 'Instagram vs. Reality', but she misses the whole objective of the trend. In the former image, she's posed and it's been constructed in a particular way, but interestingly, so has the latter, which begs the question - how many "Reality" photos did she take before finding the right one? Although it's clear that she is still commenting on the fakery of Instagram, as Emily chooses not to edit or filter the latter photo, she still positions herself in a way that is rather posed, with her scarf on her head, pulling a silly face. Therefore, even though her post does work more towards the goals of the 'Instagram vs. Reality' hashtag, she is still not empowering women through the trend, but rather, making it more lighthearted than originally intended.

The audience's comments towards this type of Instagram post are completely different to the comments on the posts using the hashtag correctly above. The audience is focused on how good the influencer looks and describes wanting to look like them in each photograph, whether it is posed or an outtake. Whereas, Danae, Chessie and Nelly receive comments that are more personal, with their audience telling their own stories, thanking the influencers for being so honest on their pages and describing how these types of posts have helped them with their self-confidence.

Megan Fell, a 24 year old hospitality manager from Durham, has expressed her concerns over the impact of Instagram on body image.
"Social media is quite a scary place when you think about it. There's so much on there and so much you can't control. Half of me feels motivated when I see fitness videos or yoga classes and I either take a screenshot or save the video to do it the next day, then I don't end up doing it and end up feeling guilty with myself, like I've let myself down for not exercising. You always see women's bodies and are like 'well if i just do that for 3 weeks i'll look like that' and it's an unhealthy mentality."

Megan believes Instagram is great in some ways, as it lets us connect with friends, family and strangers, any time and any place. It gives us a view into what people get up to and the lives others are living. However, this has raised concerns for Megan as she believes that Instagram is just a snapshot of someone's life and checking it can become obsessive, as we are now constantly comparing other people's lives to our own.

"People are always going to post what they want at the end of the day. I think it's up to the individual to appreciate other people's posts but not become obsessed. I have certainly done it where I've followed an influencer and wanted their life from the constant travel, to the so-called 'perfect' body, but it's unrealistic. I'm grateful I can differentiate it, some people, especially young girls, can't and that's where issues begin."

Photo of Megan Fell , Photography by Laura Benwell

Social media platforms are working to do something about this. In the last year, Instagram has introduced policies which restrict content related to weight loss products, dieting brands and cosmetic procedures. Jameela Jamil, an actor and activist, has said that this is a "huge win" in the fight against diet products and harmful body ideals on social media. But there's still more than needs to be done, as the harmful images that present a certain 'norm' when it comes to body types are much harder to regulate, especially when many of the images are not posted with bad intentions.

Instagram could potentially make a big change and have a positive influence on users of the site by changing their own behaviour and promoting positive social media usage. Speaking with @harrietrb, she believes that real change could be made if Instagram's own profile promoted body positive pages and discussed how to curate a mindful feed, setting an example to all of their followers. This could have a huge impact as Instagram's profile is followed by 378 million accounts. These are the types of messages people want and deserve to see on social media. News outlets and social sites are used by millions of people and to break down unrealistic beauty standards and assist the future of the body positive movement, these sites must start engaging with their followers and start the conversation.

As mentioned above, Instagram has started doing this because as well as banning the use of advertisements for unhealthy weight loss products, they have taken it upon themselves to ban certain hashtags that are either triggering, inappropriate or damaging to mental health. Hashtags included are #depression, #eatingdisorder, #bpd, and any hashtags to do with self harm. If a user tries to search for these hashtags, it will either not show up or bring a warning up to them. Instagram doesn't want to condone any type of harm, but monitoring a site with over 1 billion monthly active users is quite tricky.

As of 2020, 63% of Instagram users visit the social platform daily. This statistic is notably scary, as so many users of all ages are exposed to so much potentially harmful content. With so many people visiting and posting on the platform each day, a human can't possibly regulate all of the posts and hashtags that are uploaded. Sadly, this does mean that posts that may negatively affect mental health do go online. Unfortunately though, not everyone that sees these posts will realise that they are negatively impacting upon their mental health, so the more these images are posted, the more someone will subconsciously internalise the content they view. Therefore, although Instagram should spread more resources about how to curate a healthy social media site, Instagram could also look at how to stop the source itself, or at least warn of its harm. Although the platform is difficult to regulate manually, they could potentially create a new algorithm that picks up harmful posts, or enforce clear warnings to tell users that particular content is harmful in relation to unrealistic body standards, i.e. 'This image includes filters and body sculpting edits' . This would then allow users to see healthier representations of bodies, and also know when the body in the photo has been edited.

In 2019, Instagram co-launched a mental health campaign under the hashtag #RealConvo, and celebrities and influencers did engage with this hashtag, but it still only has just over 19K posts, unlike the hashtag 'Instagram vs. Reality' with 170K. So although Instagram is attempting to start conversations about mental health, the difference in numbers here shows that these campaigns need more recognition, especially in the fight to prevent suicide and other mental heath issues caused by social media.

So where does this leave the impact of social media in the future of journalism?
Social media influences how we view ourselves, both positively and negatively, and it's important that we understand the effects of using social media platforms, such as Instagram, in order to limit their impact on our mental health. Growing up with social media can be a blessing and a curse, but without it, we wouldn't have the opportunity to see beyond our own lives, or gain daily inspiration so easily.

There are many journalists who are advocates for body positivity, self-love, mental health and wellbeing. For example, Stephanie Yeboah and Danae Mercer are both freelance journalists, fighting for the cause and trying to tackle harmful body ideals online. Magazines and social media sites are trying to represent a wider range of body types through their advertisements and their online presence to make greater progress in combating body image issues. But all media, both traditional and new, need to continue to represent a range of different bodies, and move away from harmful editing software, and instead celebrate the uniqueness of every individual. As journalists, it is also important to be critical of all the trends that we see on Instagram and other social media platforms, in order to get a real idea of the progress being made, as well as the potential harm being done. By exploring these trends, journalists can challenge, promote and hold social media platforms to account.

Here is a quick vox pop style interview with Jessica and Lily Thourgood. Lily explains that she finds social media 'toxic' and Jess says how there is some improvement, but there is still a long way to go.

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Body Image and Social Media: The real impact "Instagram vs. Reality" posts have on our mental health

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Taking a look at how social media is evolving and the effects journalism has on body image. From Facebook and Twitter, to Tumblr and Instagram, social media platforms allow anyone and everyone to post photos of whatever they like - particularly photographs of themselves.

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Social Media Influencers have been seen to promote fake/counterfeit products

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Social Media Influencers have been seen to promote fake/counterfeit products

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https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-sues-influencers-promoting-fake-luxury-products-2020-11?r=US&IR=T

Working with the counterfeit crime unit, Amazon reported the listings and proceeded to sue 2 influencers for a total of 11 people of firms. Kelly Fitzpatrick and Sabrina Kelly-Krejci were fined set to be fined $75,000 each.

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Amazon filed a lawsuit Thursday against two influencers who it says promoted counterfeit products on their social media accounts.

Kelly Fitzpatrick and Sabrina Kelly-Krejci, the influencers named in the suit, are being accused of working with 11 other individuals or businesses to list and promote fake luxury items sold on Amazon in what Amazon describes as an "order this/get this" scheme.

According to the suit, Fitzpatrick and Kelly-Krejci would promote an Amazon listing for a seemingly generic item, which was in fact a designer imitation. The fake listings were an effort to dupe Amazon's counterfeit detection tools, Amazon says.

Amazon has been waging war against counterfeit products on its platform for several years, recently launching a Counterfeit Crimes Unit to help investigate and bring legal action against knock-off items on its platform.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Amazon has filed a lawsuit against two social media influencers, claiming they knowingly hawked counterfeit products on their Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook accounts.

The suit, which was filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, accuses influencers Kelly Fitzpatrick and Sabrina Kelly-Krejci of working with 11 other individuals or businesses to list and promote fake luxury items sold on Amazon.

Amazon says Fitzpatrick and Kelly-Krejci took part in a scheme where they promoted what they called "dupes," where a product is meant to look similar to a designer item without infringing on trademarks or copyrights. But in this case, the products were actually designer knock-offs sold by third-party Amazon sellers who concealed them in product listings.

While the product pages on Amazon would be for a seemingly benign item, like a generic wallet, Fitzpatrick and Kelly-Krejci would reveal to their followers on Instagram or TikTok what they were actually buying when they purchased from the seller - items like a counterfeit Gucci belt, purse, or wallet.

Amazon described it as an "order this/get this" scheme and a coordinated effort to evade the company's anti-counterfeit protections.

Both Fitzpatrick and Kelly-Krejci were formerly members of Amazon's influencer marketing program but were removed from the program after the company discovered they were peddling counterfeit items, Amazon said. Both women have had their social media accounts shut down in the past for promoting counterfeit goods and have started new accounts with similar handles, according to the suit.

In Fitzpatrick's case, Amazon alleges that she had a "close business relationship" with the counterfeit sellers listed in the suit, and that several of them used her Long Island home address on their Amazon seller accounts.

Amazon is seeking a court order banning the Fitzpatrick, Kelly-Krejci, and the sellers named in the suit from selling products on Amazon, opening Amazon vendor accounts, linking to products on an Amazon store, or aiding other people in conducting similar schemes.

Additionally, Amazon is asking that Fitzpatrick and Kelly-Krejci pay damages the company may have sustained from their actions, as well as Amazon's legal fees.

Amazon has been waging war against counterfeit products on its platform for several years. In June, the company launched a Counterfeit Crimes Unit charged with investigating dupes on its platform and bringing legal action against the perpetrators. The counterfeit issue reached a point late last year that Nike stopped selling on Amazon, citing a desire to focus on "elevating consumer experiences through more direct, personal relationships." Prior to that, Birkenstock stopped selling its shoes on the platform, with its CEO accusing Amazon of "modern-day piracy."

The Trump administration earlier this year placed Amazon on its list of "notorious markets" over its counterfeit problem, which Amazon said was a result of President Donald Trump's personal vendetta against Amazon and its CEO, Jeff Bezos.

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Amazon filed a lawsuit against 2 influencers accusing them of knowingly hawking counterfeit products on their social media accounts

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Amazon filed a lawsuit Thursday against two influencers who it says promoted counterfeit products on their social media accounts. Kelly Fitzpatrick and Sabrina Kelly-Krejci, the influencers named in the suit, are being accused of working with 11 other individuals or businesses to list and promote fake luxury items sold on Amazon in what Amazon describes as an "order this/get this" scheme.