An excerpt from Before Tacky Podcast the team spoke about Instagram’s affect on fast fashion. Trying to live the large life while caring about sustainable fashion is a contradiction for the social media set.
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Tag: instagram
I have written about this subject in the past. It is easy to protest, be a part of a movement that does not involve negative consequences. Climate change activism continues to stay on the front page. Greta made the cover of Time magazine as Person of the Year.
However, does Generation Z really feel about the planet and consumption? Primark’s revenue rose 4% with more planned store openings in 2020.
I recently ran across a New York Times article on the Instagram obsessedcrowd concerning shopping. The divergent values add up the same as 2+2=3. This is the reason many fashion brands are having a difficult time understanding what these consumers want. Hate fast fashion on social media, run to the store to get a new look, post. Buy better means buy less, yet on Instagram posting the same look twice is a faux pas that will earn negative comments. Such is the life of digital “W level” celebrity. A disposable wardrobe in the closet on Saturday, throw it in the garbage on Monday, shopping again on Friday.
Climate change is a movement, but instant gratification is an entrenched modern behaviour.
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STILL, NOPE!
WHY?
There is no fun in posting the pictures. What was once sharing experiences has turned into narcissism and greed. A digital feel good pill for those desiring “Z Level” fame. Perhaps it is because I had a life and travelled before the platform existed. Showing “I am living a great fake life” borders on insane. Carefully curated pictures demonstrating fake joy reminds of the 1970’s sitcom “Brady Bunch”. During my college days people like this were called “MGM”. Meaning, they were fake.
My problem, I hate curating perfect experiences. I am a what you see is what you get character, loving faults. On Instagram being yourself means a filter, photoshop, and rehearsing.
Pills
Instagram has become a place of Prozac Reality. I cringe at some of poses and postings. The extremes people will do to get attention. A space to give those with no talent, appeal, experience, a chance to find popularity. The past two weeks, there were 3 Instagram Influencer scandals. I looked over the accounts of the three “None Appealing Fame Seekers”.
Lost on me! If I saw any of them on the street I would not look twice. How and why they have thousands of followers escapes me. Most certainly a click farm service in Thailand has their credit card details. Just Saying! Sadly, one of the above Influencer scandal will involve jail time for “Glaming it Up” with a fake credit card.
Still have not returned to the site, I check it, like a few pictures by friends. During a campaign I asked my friends to like an images. But for most I am happy to stay off. Life is too short trying to be a full time Carol Brady. Sharing was once fun but evolved into silly, tragic, exhausting, and horrific.
Black and Paper stopped placing content on Instagram. This article was triggered by the site of an “Influencer” who photoshops pictures menus 8 kilos.
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Our Anniversary
Life is Good
It has been over one year. We quit Instagram to the chagrin of many. Why? Insanity? Lack of followers? How would we survive in an age when so many believe in oversharing? Many thought this action was insane. Amazing how fast time flies. We are still here and doing ok, Instagram Free.
I can appreciate the amount of time many “influencers” spend on one picture, the interaction with their fans, self esteem based on comments and likes.
However, Black and Paper decided not become a slave to the algorithm system that manipulates insecurities for a smidgen of fame. The joy of sharing overshadowed by digital narcissism. The quest for quick popularity moving as fas as a stroll on a screen. Thriving to show a life not lived, but more about projecting a fantasy in constant branding mode. I wonder how many selfies can a person post? How many selfies can a person see in day? If one scrolls fifty pictures, is the first image recalled?
One Year On!
After one year, speaking to many professional media people about influencing and influencers there are still questions, many have doubts about how it works or if it works. But fear of missing out drives them. Opinions seem split where the Instagram Hype will go? Some say, “the bubble will pop.” While others firmly believe it will stay and evolve. The verdict is still out.
On a level I recognize the merit of the medium. For the impressionable, for certain products, these consumers look to influencers. Hyper consumption, buy today, wear 7 times, then throw away to buy new, this is the market for influencing, quantity over quality.
Black and Paper philosophy is “buy something that will last”. Have we considered returning to Instagram? No! Imagine spending 1 hour for a post, only 35 likes. We jumped off the merry go round and never looked back.
During Milan Fashion Week it was refreshing to meet a person who appreicuates and supports fashion designer . A “fashion influencer” is a person who goes to shows and posts endless selfies with freebies from brands. How many “Influencers” really support designers or brands?
Meeting Briana Linea of Instagram account “Fashion_Fridays”, 330.000 followers, was refreshing. An “Influencer” with business insights promoting new designers, introducing them to retailers, and giving professional advice.
Did she convince me to return to Instagram? HA!
Side Note: It was really hot that day. The Sparkling Wine was needed.
Stay Tuned for Part 2.
Sponsored by Canon Camera. Werbung.
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Why We Don’t Do It!
Inspired By! I read this quote from a Hollywood Diva.
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Is the Party Over!
Very recently there has been an upheaval in the media and social media world. Has the time of accountability in influencer marketing arrived? Global consumer company advertiser Unilever made a shot across the bow announcing there needs to be more transparency, less bots and false likes. At Cannes Lions, marketing head Keith Weed insisted on more honesty from both the influencers and social media platforms, especially Instagram. If a man in charge of an $8 billion annual ad budget speaks, media listens. By taking a stand against the fraudulent side of the influencer business, Weed deserves our applause. The international brand will no longer work with influencers buying engagement. The open secret is now out. Denial is no longer an option.
Black and Paper quit the sharing site in 2017 due to our lack of trust on the site. How do the algorithms work? Why are certain profiles promoted more than others? There are so many questions unanswered. Many wannabe influencers have no choice, turning to bots for relevance. Trust or authenticity are out the window. $1.000 buys 100.000 followers, all fake!
Influencer marketing has it benefits. There are genuine influencers who work hard and have skills, but the field has now been taken over by greed. The desire for freebies. Influencer news of late has been negative, The Atlantic reported on five star hotel resorts flooded with requests for free rooms from everyone with an Instagram account. The travel influencer who posted photo shopped images of himself in locations, another article reported on the level of false comments on certain post as high as 70%. The thirst is real! Earning upwards of $5000 a posting would tempt anyone.
Is it any wonder why Black and Paper stopped using Instagram? We got support from some, treated like herpes from others but the journey continues.
Thank you Unilever, happy to know we are on the same side.
There are some social media platforms that we like. There are some social media platforms we question. As a site for all things creative, inspiring, and wonderful being in a place of thirsty, desperate wannabes employing questionable means is not for us. Taking all of this into consideration, Black and Paper has decided to quit Instagram.
Endless narcissism, relentless self-promotion, and less than transparent followers means a lot of effort but not sure about the end results. The Instagram skills of a pictures using filtered effects or daily selfies have become a source of mass appeal, not in our book. Black and Paper supports real talent; artists, fashion designers, writers, and photographers and all other creative types.
Do we hate Instagram? No! But we feel as a site it is no longer in the spirit of social media. There are only so many product placements, advertising, and partnership hashtags we can endure in threads. After seeing influencers with multiple images of different brands, many in the same product category, writing the standard commentary including “love my new,,,” or “favorite”, sooner or later authenticity will become an issue. One influencer we have watched, with “thousand of followers”, endorsed or promoted seven different sandal brands in 2 weeks. Instagram has become a full time lifestyle for some, a source of validation, a fast route to fame, a way to live vicariously. Our online presence is not motivated by those behavior patterns. We try to keep it REAL!
Lastly, we do not understand algorithms of Instagram. What makes an image popular? Buying “likes” from bots. Daily pouting selfies. Using a certain filter. Specific hashtags.
Black and Paper wishes the people who are successful on Instagram more success. For us, it was better to leave than continue.
Black and Paper would like to thank its on Instagram followers. Please follow us here and on other social media outlets.
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Instathirst NO!
Goodbye Instagram! It was nice while it lasted but for some reason it never felt like a relationship beyond a necessary inconvenience. Black and Paper has decided December 31st will be the last day we post on the social media platform. The thirst is real on Instagram and we are not thirsty. In an Age of Unrepentant Self-promotion mixed with suspect followers and likes, this is not the place for us. It is better focus on our growing web site instead of getting lost in the mix of endless selfies. Black and Paper is about informing along with inspiring; promoting creative people and looking for wonderful things to share with our readers. We try to be genuine. If the product does not fit, we do not recommend like many influencers for hire. For these reasons we decided Instagram or “Instathirst” as we call it did not fit with our philosophy. A Big “THANK YOU” to our followers! We will post more pictures and commentary here on blackandpaper.com