This matter has been discussed thoroughly on all platforms of social media but I felt compelled to write this piece for a number of reasons. Firstly I am aware of how 'dirty' the word blogger has become in society. Bloggers are not taken seriously for the word connotes images of a person gabbling on about how amazing a product is, their words basically paid for by a brand. That is why a number of bloggers chose to identify themselves as influencers; in an effort to rid themselves of that image. Secondly, as a small part-time blogger, what this issue has done is umbrelled all bloggers under the same ideal; that none of us are to be trusted and that we're all in it for the free products and money. And seeing the reaction of the public has honestly made me want to give up blogging altogether. I am a blogger with little influence so I can't even imagine what the pressure feels like for those in the limelight for these scandals. I have decided to continue blogging because it is a passion of mine and it's something I love doing and I won't let a couple of - what I would deem to be frauds - to make me give up something that has brought me so many moments of happiness and opportunities I would have never been given without my little blog.
I think blogging, in its heyday, became so popular because the public were so sick of brands and the media shoving product recommendations down their throats. It was all so insincere so when your average Joe came along and gave honest, unbiased reviews people leaped on the pro-blogger bandwagon. And it was a good place, for awhile. However, in recent years brands have began to manipulate the blogging world, thrusting money and free products at bloggers and with little advertising regulation and blinded by money, I feel some bloggers have lost their way. I had noticed this several months prior to all this influencer drama when I unfollowed a large number of bloggers because it all became too homogenous. "I'm currently working on something - that I can't tell you about! - but I'm very excited to be doing.", "*Such & Such a Brand has given me a discount code for all my lovely followers - use BlahBlahBlah10 to get 10% off" and "here's a goddamn tea that'll make you poop for three days straight but I'm going to pretend it's the bee's knees anyway!"
My own experiences with bloggers has been limited as I'm still a baby in this industry. Fortunately for me, the ones I have met have always been lovely. But, what I will say about bloggers in Ireland, is the ones that will give you the time of day are the ones who haven't been in the industry for years and the ones who wouldn't be considered the "leaders of the blogging world". Case in point is for my FYP for college I am focusing on the blogging world. Therefore, I need to interview a number of these bloggers and goddamn are they hard to contact. One of the key aspects of blogging is engagement yet a large number of bloggers I have reached out to have not even extended the courtesy of an email to say they are too busy to answer some questions. There is one blogger in particular (I will not name names as I won't drag her name and there may be reasons for her silence, I dunno), but I have followed her for about five/six years and have liked her photos, bought her recommended products and have commented on a number of topics she has discussed (never got a reply by the way), and I really hoped to get an interview as she was one of the reasons I started a blog. And no, nothing. I have emailed, contacted her on every social she's on (I've even DM'd ffs!) and not even a single word reply. So I made the decision to simply unfollow her and move on. When all the influencer drama unfolded, she was the first to defend the industry and although she made some great points - I just cant see past her hypocrisy.
Jenny from one of my favorite podcasts - IT GALZ (find them here) - has described pretty accurately what I hope all this scandal will mean for Irish influencers in that it will weed out those who blog for monetary gain and have no real interest in who their fans are and the cream will rise to the top. I am so happy that people have finally taken a stand against b***shit and are fed up of being lied to and I feel like it was something that has been brewing in Ireland for a long time. I am a blogger but I am also a follower and fan of other bloggers and so, in 2018, I have made the conscious decision to say goodbye to all the bloggers I feel have lost their true passion when it comes to blogging. And, if you are a fan of my little blog, this is my promise that I will never manipulate my space here on the internet to make money. And you can hold me to that!
Until next time...
Aimee♥
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