Welcome to Infant-gram
Babies, toddlers find fame on social media
MEREDITH TAN
61,200 FOLLOWERS
She has just turned one but Meredith Tan has more than 60,000 Instagram followers.
All thanks to her mum, Singapore blogger Ang Chiew Ting, who created the account even before the toddler was born.
Ms Ang, 28, is better known by her online monicker Bong QiuQiu.
She told The New Paper: “I knew ahead (during pregnancy) that I would be posting a lot of pictures of her, so I decided to set up a new account to document Meredith’s milestones and memorable moments.
She pointed out that Meredith’s huge following was not entirely a result of her mother’s blogger status.
Ms Ang, who has 292,000 followers, noted that 20 to 30 per cent of the followers on @meregoround do not follow her on @bongqiuqiu.
She added that the likes per post for Meredith has also surpassed hers.
Ms Ang reckoned the secret to Meredith’s Instagram stardom lies in the photo’s candid captions.
“I don’t write very ‘safe’ captions like, ‘Who needs a little smile/hug?’. Instead, I opt for captions that reflect what she might actually say.”
A photo of Meredith with her birthday cake is captioned “Whaaaat?! Cake for my breakfast?! What’s going on?! I think the adults are out of their mind!”
Ms Ang is also careful about the kind of pictures she posts on her daughter’s account.
So pictures where Meredith “does not wear top, does not wear bottom” will not make it online.
To prevent stalkers and minimise the lack of privacy, Ms Ang avoids “live” posts. She shares pictures only after they have left the location.
Still, she confessed, netizens have criticised her for exposing Meredith to social media at this age.
And the nastiest comment she has received on @meregoround: “You look so different from your mum because she’s had plastic surgery done. You are going to be as ugly as her when you grow up.”
Ms Ang, well known for having done multiple plastic surgeries, ignores the nasty comments.
“Well, they can say what they want but Meredith will not be able to read it. I will block the user and delete rude comments once I see it,” she said.
LEIA AND LAUREN LOK
187,000 FOLLOWERS
Singaporean twins Leia and Lauren have more than 150,000 followers on Instagram from around the world
A typical Instagram post on @leialauren scores high on the cute factor, thanks to their matching outfits. Each post averages about 10,000 likes and receives hundreds of comments.
The eight-month-old duo are also travel stars, having recently visited Iceland with their parents.
The chubby twins look identical, but there are subtle differences, said their mother, Mrs Amber Lok, 32, who is in the marketing industry.
Leia has sharper eyes and Lauren is the chubbier twin. Personality-wise, her twin daughters are very different, said Mrs Lok.
"Leia is generally more reserved around people, Lauren is the outgoing one."
STARDOM
The twins' stardom can be traced to their parents' decision to document their growing up journey.
Mrs Lok said: "Instagram's simple interface makes it so much easier for us to share their pictures and experiences with our family and friends who constantly want updates.
"On top of that, we are able to connect with like-minded parents to learn from and share experiences with, being new parents."
What they did not expect was the twins' Instagram fame, from when they were about four months old.
They have fans from many countries. A week ago, their page was featured on UK news website Daily Mail Online.
Said Mrs Lok: "We are humbled by the way the public has shown love and support for Leia and Lauren and hope to continue sharing their daily dose of sunshine."
One might think that a lot of effort is required in getting the twins ready for their close-up photos, but mum said that photo sessions take place after Leia and Lauren's nap time and lasts for 10 to 15 minutes.
Mrs Lok said: "Leia and Lauren are not camera-shy therefore it's not tough for us to capture a moment."
TNP asked Mrs Lok about critics who may object to putting kids on social media.
She said: "Social media privacy is a very subjective topic, we can only say that whatever we want to be private stays private."
Mrs Lok also revealed the secret to the children's success on Instagram:
"Always have fun with your kids in the process, it will reflect naturally on their faces.
"The pictures in return will bring out so much of their personalities, and those moments are gold."
Young Instagram stars around the world
The Song Triplets: Daehan, Minguk and Manse
@songilkook | 1.2 million followers
Korean triplets Song Daehan, Song Minguk and Song Manse shot to fame through The Return of Superman, a South Korean reality-variety show where celebrity fathers try to handle the home and children while their wives take off for 48 hours.
Their father, actor Song Il Kook, started an Instagram account early this year and has been sharing pictures of his sons.
Average number of likes per picture? Oh, just around 250,000.
A picture showing them in their pyjamas and their birthday cake netted a solid 31,000 comments.
That's stardom.
Aden Chen, son of Mediacorp artists Andie Chen and Kate Pang
@aden_kandie | 21,600 followers
Andie and Kate, known collectively as Kandie, have been documenting Aden's growth since he was born almost two years ago.
The couple share cute moments and their family wefies get super responses.
M&D Twins: Michael and Daniel Flora
@2yungkings | 150,000 followers
Identical twins Michael and Daniel became Internet sensations in 2014, when they were just three years old.
They are also not shy about posing in front of the camera, doing so with the ease of professional models.
The twins, who are from East London, are often dressed to the nines in fashionable outfits, with sunglasses, bow ties, cardigans, branded belts, loafers and patent-leather shoes.
WANT TO START AN INSTAGRAM FOR THE KIDS?
1. Keep the photos lighthearted and cheerful.
2. Do so because you want to share your bundle of joy with the world — not for the money.
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