Instagram has created a whole new world of careers, especially for women.
Between bloggers, style influencers, fitness gurus, and other people who simply have a lot of followers, the people (usually women) who run these accounts are gaining quick wealth and fame. If you look at Instagram famous women such as Tammy Hembrow, The Kardashians, and Sarah Stage, they all have three things in common--fashion, fitness, and family. They are all mothers.
But what is "The Instagram Mom" becoming? The idea that this lifestyle is attainable for all mothers is unrealistic.
Sarah Stage, a model and fitness guru with two boys, was nine months pregnant and showed little to no baby bump with both of her children. While there is nothing wrong with this as long as it was healthy to her, it is setting an unrealistic standard for women and young girls about what bodies become before and after motherhood.
Tammy Hembrow is 24 and has a gorgeous fiancee, two beautiful children under the age of three, and multiple fashion lines pertaining to fitness and everyday beauty. She seems like she has the perfect life. But when she is posting pictures of her flawless body, I don't feel envy; I simply feel an inability to relate, which is almost a branding turnoff.
The Kardashians are in a league of their own.
My point is that this new career that has emerged of Instagram Motherhood (where women post pictures, ads, giveaways, and plenty of photos of their gorgeous babies) is unrealistic for young girls. The idea that their career revolves around what they look like, their lifestyle, and being the perfect mother is not only unprogressive, it's unrealistic.
When my future daughter goes on social media (which will merely be an idea by then while we are flying our invisible cars), I wouldn't want her to only follow accounts of skinny, young mothers. I want her to aspire to be a businesswoman, an astronaut, a scientist, a model or whatever she wants to be. There are more things in life than being a "happy wife and mama" and famous social media accounts need to recognize these things.
Kids are the most precious thing in the world, but there are other forms of success in life.
Instagram Moms are a great thing, and little girl's dreams are an amazing thing. Let's expand their horizons for them.
