The Internet can be an unpredictable place. Unlike provinces and states where the land you stand on dictates the laws you follow, social media is the wild west.
Most social media spaces are governed by whichever almighty tech billionaire owns the platform. Although elected officials worldwide are calling for more government intervention, companies like Meta and X still control what is posted on their platforms.
But someone has to create every post, video, reel and TikTok you consume.
If that sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. Although the life of an influencer can be taxing, the most lucrative part of the job is that anyone can do it — including kids.
More than 75 per cent of U.S. parents reported sharing stories, images, or videos of their children online, according to a 2021 survey by security.org.
What do child influencers even do?
Child influencers look different on every platform and they can make all kinds of different content.
Terms like “momfluencers” and “sharenting” refer to content made for parents, using kids to highlight relatable and informative aspects of parenthood.
Then, there is content centred around kids, which appeals to young kids and their childhood fantasies. This could be videos of child influencers playing with the hottest new toy or engaging in an elaborate game of pretend.
This content is fast-paced, colourful, and riddled with effects to keep young eyes engaged.
Lastly, there is content featuring kids that caters to an adult audience. Although this content brands itself as family-friendly, it puts children in harm’s way, inserting them into a space where they are prone to be harassed and cyberbullied.
When putting your children on social media, they’re more than likely to suffer the consequences.
No matter who the desired audience is, parent influencers can’t control who views their content online.
Although they can turn off comments or filter out keywords to protect their child, less commenting also means less engagement and views.
There is also the question of compensation for the kids making content. Currently, there is no streamlined law to ensure kids are paid fairly — but that might change.
On Sept. 26, California became the third state in America (after Illinois and Minnesota) to sign legislation financially protecting teen and child influencers. Through California’s new law, at least 15 per cent of minors’ online earnings must be put into a trust fund.
In Canada, there is the Online Harms Act to keep kids safer online and there is legislation protecting child performers, but there is currently no legislation for child influencers.
When laws for child actors were introduced in February, Canada followed in the footsteps of California.. If the pattern were to continue, Canada could soon see child influencer laws following California’s recent decision.
Just like in the real world, everyone has an opinion on how their child should exist online. Whether your child is a viral influencer or just a regular on your Facebook page, it is important to remember what is at stake.
Featured image via Unsplash.
