05 September 2023 , 12:06
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Writer and digital content creator Scarlett London, 29, often used to show glimpses from her picture-perfect life on social media - from snippets with her husband on a gorgeous holiday to a spread of delicious-looking food at a restaurant. Most people are aware that social media is just a snapshot of the best parts of someone's life, and doesn't necessarily reflect the entire reality.
And while many people still like to follow influencers who share their amazing lives, Scarlett, who now focuses on e-designing kitchens through her business Scarlett Jessica Interiors, claims she was once sent death threats from trolls because of one of the 'innocent' pictures she posted online. Back in 2018, Scarlett posted a picture of herself sitting on a bed with a full face of make up and styled hair, surrounded by heart helium balloons with her healthy breakfast laid out in front of her.
People claimed the picture was staged (scarlettlondon/Instagram)While this wasn't out of the ordinary for Scarlett, who regularly posted pictures taken from her bed surrounded with some delicious-looking treats, and shared them with her 5.8k followers - many people claimed the photo was staged, and criticised her for selling a "false, unobtainable image to impressionable young people".
According to people who mocked her online, they believed they had spotted an embarrassing fake element to her photo - with many claiming her strawberry pancakes are actually tortilla wraps. She shared the photo with the caption: "The best of days start with a smile and positive thoughts. And pancakes. And strawberries. And bottomless tea. My morning routine is now live on YouTube - and while I don't show you my real bed hair (trust me, it's not pretty), I do give you a little insight into how I start my day in a positive way. Head over to my stories for a swipe up link - and let me know what you think!"
It also featured a plug for a brand of mouthwash, and a comment explaining it's a promotional post. Scarlett posted on Instagram, but went viral on Twitter, which has since been rebranded to X, after an unhappy follower took a screenshot and shared it. One person wrote: "This is so ridiculous on so many level. Everything in this pic is ridiculous and hella FAKE. I don't know from where to start the tortillas or the product placement? #StrawberriesFajitas."
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Another commented: "It's images like this that give young girls false impressions of life and unrealistic expectations of how they expect to be treated." One woman wrote: "Unrealistic staged photos like this are just as bad as Photoshopped models in magazines. It sells a false, unobtainable image to impressionable young people. You can refer to yourself as a poor, bullied 'young girl' all you like, but if you're going to effectively sell products to your followers, your methods are going to come under criticism just like other brands are criticised with their advertising is seen as inappropriate or damaging."
But others jumped to Scarlett's defence. One wrote: "It's the parents responsibility to teach their children otherwise. And anyone who puts the blame on the people who post on social media has a problem with ownership. And people like you who put other people down are the reason people feel insecure." Another replied: "This is a gorgeous photo! Please ignore the weirdos. This is a social MEDIA - its marketing, a virtual commercial & that's what you did with this perfectly curated set up."
Scarlett later shared another photo on her Instagram defending her posts, and claiming she's been sent death threats since posting the photo. She also shared a screenshot of her audience demographic, showing just 4% of her followers were at the time under 18.
She wrote at the time: "In the last 48 hours, grown men and women, MPs, women's equality representatives, journalists, actresses and broadcasters have discovered my Instagram feed and decided to pick it apart online, in front of thousands. Each time I refresh my page, hundreds of new nasty messages pour onto my Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, some of which have contained malicious death threats.
"There are now hundreds of thousands of tweets circling the internet, shaming me. I implore those mindlessly sharing this content to research who I am as a person, before they further drag my name and image through the mud. Yes, I do adverts on here, but only with brands I genuinely use and would spend money on myself. My feed isn't a place of reality (let's talk about Exhibit A - above - I mean who spends their time in such a beautiful city, perched on a ledge, ice-cream in hand and smile permanently affixed to her face, it’s staged guys)."
She hit back at the threats (scarlettlondon/Instagram)She continued: "Sometimes my photos are whimsical and OTT and a little too pink, but I'm not presenting this as an idealistic' version of life that young girls should aspire to. Those who follow me will know my reality. I try to raise awareness for the digestive condition I suffer from, the same condition that years ago threatened me graduating from university. My Instagram has been an outlet to show you can be positive and have fun with life, despite this condition.
"I personally don't think my content is harmful to young girls but I do agree Instagram can present a false expectation for people to live up to. And I am wholeheartedly sorry if I've ever made anyone feel inadequate through my content. My life mission is quite the opposite. I am a strong 24-year-old woman who has experienced bullying in the past. I am and will be okay after this hideous experience. But another young girl or guy as the subject of a targeted hate campaign might not be okay. Please remember at the centre of of every viral storm is a human being."
Scarlett has since channelled her influencer efforts into the interior design space on her Instagram, but keeps a lower profile elsewhere. She also authored a book called Tummy Tied, published in 2019, about what it's like to live with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).