FROM THE EDITOR

It’s not my world, but it is hers. She’s soon to turn 16.

I was curious about her take on Insta-influencers, and the glossy Tiktok brigade who pout and spin in crop tops, and the saplingaspirants who gyrate in their wake. We are at an interesting intersection. This is not about slut shaming because that is not okay, ever. But is this empowerment? Is this feminism? We get to this fork in the road by way of Khloe Kardashian who had an image of herself in a bikini posted on social media last week. She responded with outrage. It was an invasion. Fair enough. I’m mortified if someone posts a photo of me at a party without being asked. Daisy then read me a post in which Kardashian talked of having body issues, of the trauma of being assessed and judged all her life. She was insecure. She wanted control over how she was presented. We should feel for her on a human level, said Daisy. But do you feel pressure to meet this standard, I ask? Um, not really; well, kind of. Not the Kardashians, but more regular people. Like Tiktok-ers. She is strong and smart my girl, but vulnerable too, like all the impressionable young women (and men) confronted with a relentless parade of perfectly managed and ironed-hair selfies on social media; working out; pimping beauty products. So the insecurity circle just gets bigger. It’s their world, it’s our world. And I thought about a friend, Angela Barnett, who gives talks to young people on the insidious nature of marketing and social media. Her advice — rather than aiming to be “pretty” it’s far better to be pretty smart. This week, Zoe Strimpel talks empowerment vs enslavement. Nga mihi nui