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The threat of exploitation of "kidfluencers" & the role PR must play
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The threat of exploitation of "kidfluencers" & the role PR must play
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Content
THE THREAT OF EXPLOITATION OF “KIDFLUENCERS” & THE ROLE PR MUST PLAY
Copyright 2024 Adaku Udeagha
by
Adaku Udeagha
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND
JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(PUBLIC RELATIONS & ADVERTISING)
December 2024
ii
Dedication
This thesis is dedicated to the children who have worked or are currently working in the
unregulated world of the kidfluencer industry, especially those who have suffered harm as a
result.
iii
Acknowledgements
This thesis would not have been able to come together without the support of so many
beautiful souls. Thank you first and foremost to my committee: Jennifer Floto, Mikki Turner and
Melanie Cherry, for your unwavering support, constructive criticism and patience as I underwent
a multitude of edits throughout this process.
I’d finally like to express gratitude for my friends over at Roots to Grow: Joel, Ahlexxus,
and Angel for your personal support throughout my educational journey. Your cheers from the
sidelines went a long way during these times.
iv
Table of Contents
Dedication………………………………………………………………………………………ii
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………….iii
List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………..v
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………vi
Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………………………………….1
Glossary of Terms……………………………………………………………………3
Literature Review…………………………………………………………………….6
Chapter 2: Back to the Beginning……………………………………………………………….8
Rise of Child Influencers……………………………………………………………17
Chapter 3: The Problem…………………………………………………………………………20
The Predators………………………………………………………………………..24
Chapter 4: What Are Platforms Doing About This?…………………………………………….30
Chapter 5: The Parents…………………………………………………………………………..35
Chapter 6: What Role Can PR Play in Tackling This Issue? …………………………………...41
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….44
References……………………………………………………………………………………….45
v
List of Figures
Figure 1: Old Gold Cigarettes ad featuring Babe Ruth c. 1930……………………………………9
Figure 2: Ginger Rogers for Dodge and Joan Crawford for Royal Crown Cola…………………..10
Figure 3: Barbara Feldon for Top Brass Dandruff Shampoo c. 1960…………………………….11
Figure 4: Mommy bloggers between the years 2008 and 2014…………………………………..13
Figure 5: The most profitable blog niches………………………………….…………………….13
Figure 6: The Instagram feed of musician Kehlani………………………………………………15
Figure 7: AI generated graph of rise of micro-influencers over the years………………………..16
Figure 8: The Most Popular Social Media Platforms in August 2024……………………………17
Figure 9: Comment Measurement of Pedophiles On Instagram Post …………………………….26
Figure 10: Instagram’s Follower Demographic Breakdown……………………………………...28
Figure 11: Meta’s Child Sexual Abuse Content Warning On Instagram…………………………31
Figure 12: A Promotion for a Subscription on Instagram………………………………………..34
vi
Abstract
The continued rapid growth of social media has brought forth a unique phenomenon: the rise of
“kidfluencers,” children as young as toddlers and pre-teens who have garnered millions of
followers on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. These young influencers are now
key players in the marketing world, generating significant income for themselves and their
families. However, beneath the surface of this seemingly innocent and entertaining trend lies a
troubling reality—one marked by a lack of regulation, raising serious concerns about the
exploitation of children for financial gain and their exposure to potential harm from predatory
individuals. This white paper investigates the child influencer industry by exploring key themes,
and the exploitative practices that thrive in this largely unregulated space. Through a detailed
literature review and subsequent content analysis, social media metrics, case studies of highprofile controversies, and an examination of existing child labor laws, this research identifies the
risks and gaps in protections for these young influencers, while issuing a call to action to the
public relations and advertising industries, emphasizing the critical steps needed to address this
growing issue.
1
Chapter 1: Introduction
Forensic Psychologist Dr. Leslie Dobson asks rhetorically, “I’ve talked to a lot of pedophiles in
my career, and when they can’t access child porn, do you know what they use?” No? Well,
imagine shuffling into your favorite coffee shop, the aroma of roasted beans a warm welcome.
You join the line, anticipation building for your morning caffeine fix. In front of you, a middleaged man idly scrolls through his phone, seemingly whiling away the wait. A casual glance over
his shoulder disrupts your peaceful pre-coffee zen. His phone screen reveals an Instagram feed
unlike any you've seen. Instead of the usual mix of travel pics, food close-ups, or family updates,
a parade of photos depicting young girls in revealing clothing fills the screen: short skirts,
skimpy bikinis, and crop tops dominate the feed. A jolt of unease shoots through you. The
situation feels off, the content unsettling. You grapple with the question: is this harmless
browsing, or something more sinister? When confronted about this alarming, predatory behavior,
the man defends himself and his right to consume his desired content and his fetish for young
girls. Appalled at your labeling him as a pedophile, he corrects you, stating, “we prefer, ‘minor
attracted person’” before quickly regretting this and making a hasty exit out of the shop. This
unfortunately was an actual scenario that happened to a young man, who shared his story on
TikTok, a tale which connotes the dangers of having one’s children exposed on social media.
There is no debate that the rise of social media has transformed the landscape of marketing,
reinventing it to what we see now. This modern marketing strategy, which adapts the use of
2
influencers, leverages the popularity and reach of social media personalities to promote products
and services. Among the various types of influencers, child influencers—often referred to as
"kidfluencers"—have garnered significant attention and popularity. These young content
creators, sometimes as young as toddlers, command millions of followers across platforms like
YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and their influence has translated into substantial economic
value for brands and the children’s families.
However, the increasing prevalence and popularity of child influencers has ignited a critical
discussion about the ethical and legal implications of this trend. Unlike traditional child actors or
models, who operate under strict labor laws and industry guidelines, child influencers often work
in a largely unregulated environment. This lack of oversight raises significant concerns about the
potential for exploitation, and there should be more eyes on these risks. Issues such as the
absence of clear labor protections, the impact on children’s mental and emotional well-being,
and the long-term consequences of early exposure to public scrutiny are at the forefront of this
debate. In addition, the over saturation of children on social media leaves them vulnerable and
exposed to exploitation at the hands of predators lurking online. It’s utterly baffling that in an
age where protections for child labor are well established in other industries, this digital space
remains a lawless terrain where children’s well-being is shockingly disregarded, especially when
said space is known for its lack of boundaries. Imagine helpless children left to deal with the
monstrosity of the evils that come directly and indirectly from being presented for the world to
see on the Internet, above all without their consent. Unbelievable.
The primary objective of this white paper is to expose the multifaceted issue of child exploitation
in influencer marketing. It provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape,
highlighting risks associated with child influencers. Furthermore, this paper will examine the
3
legal and ethical considerations, analyze case studies, and assess the psychological and social
impacts on child influencers. Ultimately, it offers policy recommendations and best
communication and PR practices to safeguard the rights and well-being of child influencers.
By shedding light on these critical issues, this white paper contributes to the ongoing discourse
and advocates for necessary reforms to create a safer and more equitable environment for child
influencers. It is absolutely infuriating that innocent children are ruthlessly exploited in the
“kidfluencer” industry, where their lives are commodified and paraded online for profit while
their basic rights and well-being are blatantly ignored. As a society, it’s high time we unite to
take decisive action against this exploitation, in the name of safeguarding our collective future
and protecting those who are most vulnerable.
Glossary of Terms:
Before we delve into the vast world of child influencer marketing and its accompanying PR
issues, it’s important to understand some of the terminology I’ll be referring to:
Influencers: Influencers are individuals who have established credibility and a significant
following on social media platforms, blogs, or other online channels. They have the ability to
shape opinions, drive trends, and impact the behavior of their audience. Influencers have steadily
proven to play a significant role in digital marketing, leveraging their platforms to reach and
engage audiences in a personalized and authentic manner.
4
Celebrity influencers: Celebrity influencers are well-known public figures or celebrities with a
large following across various platforms, such as movie stars, athletes, and musicians
Macro-Influencers: Macro-Influencers are individuals who have a large but niche following,
typically ranging from tens of thousands to a few million are often regarded as experts or
industry leaders in specific fields.
Micro-Influencers: Micro-Influencers are individuals who have a smaller more targeted
following ranging between one to one hundred thousand followers, and are known for having
higher engagement rates and more intimacy with their target audience
Nano- Influencers: Nano-Influencers are individuals with a very small but highly engaged
following with often less than one thousand followers.
Child influencer (aka kidfluencers): Kidfluencers are children under the age of eighteen who
have gained significant popularity and influence on social media platforms through their content,
which often includes reviews, unboxings, tutorials, lifestyle vlogs, and entertainment. These
young influencers typically have large followings and engage audiences through platforms like
YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Vlogging: Vlogging, short for “video blogging,” is the practice of creating and sharing video
content that documents personal experiences, opinions, events, or topics of interest. Vlogs
5
typically consist of a series of videos posted regularly on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or
TikTok.
Sharenting: Sharenting is the term used to describe the act of parents sharing excessive amounts
of information or photos of their children online. This can include details about their lives,
routines, achievements, or even private moments.
Algorithm: An algorithm is a set of programmed instructions used by social media platforms to
determine what content appears in a user’s feed. These algorithms analyze data such as user
interactions, preferences, and behavior to prioritize and personalize the content each user sees,
with the intent to keep users engaged by showing them posts, videos, and ads that are most
relevant to their interests, based on factors like likes, shares, comments, and time spent on
content.
DM: Short for “Direct Message,”A DM is a private communication feature on social media
platforms that allows users to send messages directly to another user or group of users without
the content being visible to others.
Pedophilia: Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult has sexual fantasies about or
engages in sexual acts with a prepubescent child.
Child Labor Regulations: Child labor regulations are laws and policies designed to protect
children from exploitation and ensure their safety, health, and well-being in the workplace. These
6
regulations are established to balance the need for children to gain work experience and
contribute economically while safeguarding their development, education, and overall wellbeing.
Literature Review
This literature review explores current research on child influencers, focusing on the industry’s
history, ethical concerns, and regulatory frameworks. The review primarily draws from reputable
news sources such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and CNN, alongside two
scholarly publications.
The concept of child influencing gained traction alongside the rise of the Internet, with Burns
(2021) highlighting its historical foundations. I viewed TikTok videos by forensic psychologist
Leslie Dobson, which served as a key resource in exploring the dangers of unregulated child
influencer marketing, particularly the risks posed by online predators. These findings were
supported by reports from The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, which emphasize the
role of social media platforms in enabling predatory behavior. Additionally, a qualitative study
by the Stanford Internet Observatory examined the accessibility of inappropriate content to
children online. The Stanford Internet Observatory, based in Stanford University, is self-defined
as “ a lab housing infrastructure and human expertise for the study of the internet.”
Research by Elisabeth Van den Abeele, a PhD student at Ghent University whose research is
pillared in kidfluencers and sharenting, further underscores the risks, showing how parents, often
7
knowingly, expose their children to dangers by posting them online. More particularly, her
scholarly article titled, “Child’s privacy versus mother’s fame: unravelling the biased decisionmaking process of momfluencers to portray their children” specifically discusses the role parents
can have in violating the privacy rights of their children.
This literature review supports my argument that without proper regulation and awareness, child
influencer marketing can have harmful effects on child development. So, let’s begin our
investigation of these heinous practices by first looking at a brief history of influencers.
8
Chapter 2: Back to the Beginning
Let’s go back in time, shall we? A time before kidfluencers and all the madness that comes with
it. The concept of influencing clearly predates the digital era. In the past, influential figures such
as monarchs, religious leaders, high-ranking politicians and prominent celebrities shaped public
opinion and behavior. These individuals wielded significant power due to their social status,
achievements, or moral authority. Word-of-mouth recommendations and endorsements by
trusted figures were among the earliest forms of influence. In the 1700s England, Potter Josiah
Wedgewood was not only deemed father of modern marketing and the creator of the first luxury
brand, he is also deemed the first recorded influencer. He created a tea set for the reigning
monarch Queen Charlotte, and dubbed himself “Potter of Her Majesty,” with the approval of the
Royal Family. Over a century later, Amelia Bloomer emerged as a leading voice in the suffragist
movement, using the newspaper, The Lily, as a platform to advocate for women's rights. One of
her most radical proposals challenged the restrictive and hazardous fashion of the era. Rejecting
the uncomfortable and potentially dangerous corsets and long dresses, Bloomer began wearing
looser-fitting garments beneath her skirts. Though not entirely unprecedented, her public
adoption of this attire popularized the style to such an extent that it became known as
"bloomers."
In the 19th century, Queen Victoria’s influence extended far beyond her role as monarch; she
shaped the time’s fashion, culture, and social norms. Her choices, such as wearing a white
wedding dress, popularized trends that became widely adopted across society. The advent of
mass media in the 20th century transformed the landscape of influence. With the rise of radio
9
and television, celebrities such as actors, musicians, and athletes began to have a more profound
impact on public opinion and consumer behavior. In the 1920s, Coco Chanel emerged to become
one of the most influential figures of the fashion industry at the time, introducing the trendy little
black dresses and trouser suits for women.
Brands quickly recognized the value of celebrity endorsements, leading to partnerships where
celebrities promoted products and services, thereby leveraging their popularity to drive sales and
shape trends. For example, tobacco companies would hire prominent athletes such as Babe Ruth,
Ty Cobb, and Cy Young to promote their products. The idea was clearly to utilize beloved public
figures to “influence” consumers to smoke a certain cigarette brand or shave with a specific
shaving cream.
Figure 1: An ad for Old Gold Cigarettes, featuring renowned baseball player Babe Ruth c. 1930
10
Popular magazines regularly featured ads featuring Hollywood starlets such as Claudette
Colbert, Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, and Ginger Rogers were used for celebrity endorsements
across different industries.
Figure 2: On the left, Ginger Rogers for Dodge, and on the right, Joan Crawford for Royal
Crown Cola.
Print advertising continued to dominate for decades, with magazines and newspapers relying on
the “pull” of celebrity endorsements to promote and sell their products. The era of radio
introduced a more intimate relationship between public figures and the audience, being able to be
in their home and almost like a part of the family. Radio presenters such as Edward R Murrow
and Walter Winchell were some of the century’s most popular presenters, able to deliver news
and celebrity gossip in a captivating way for the audience. The rise of television also played an
11
integral role in shaping consumer habits, with brands using the audience’s parasocial
relationships with actors, celebrities, and politicians to advertise their products. Former Forbes
contributor Steve Olenski believes that the parasocial relationship and idolatry that the audience
holds towards celebrities is the key factor to the success of celebrity endorsements, “The brand
value added by celebrities is immediate and palpable. When a celebrity signs an endorsement
deal with a product, an element of legitimacy is suddenly present in the company, simply
because of the power of the name backing it up.”
Figure 3. Actress Barbara Feldon featured in a 1960s ad for Top Brass Dandruff Shampoo
The digital age revolutionized our methods of learning, communicating, and expressing while
democratizing influence. No longer confined to traditional celebrities, ordinary individuals began
to gain substantial followings by sharing their passions, expertise, and lifestyles online. The
Internet saw a rise in what can be considered the first form of digital influencers: mommy
bloggers. Mommy bloggers can be traced back to the early 2000s, coinciding with the growth of
the Internet and the emergence of personal blogging platforms like Blogger (launched in 1999)
12
and WordPress (launched in 2003). The first wave of mommy bloggers began in 2002 when
Melinda Roberts created TheMommyBlog.com. Other early mommy bloggers that saw lucrative
success were Heather Armstrong of Dooce and Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman.
Armstrong reached great heights in 2009 with 8.5 million blog subscribers and earning $40,000
monthly in banner ad revenue (Burns, 2021). As these platforms made it easier for individuals to
publish content online; many mothers began to share their personal experiences, parenting tips,
and family life stories through blogs. Subsequently they were able to quickly build strong,
engaged communities around their blogs. Through comments sections and forums, readers could
interact with the bloggers and with each other, sharing their own experiences and offering
support. This sense of community was a major draw for many readers who felt isolated or
overwhelmed by the challenges of motherhood. Monetization of content soon followed, as
mommy bloggers started partnering with brands to promote products and services that were
relevant to their audience. This could include everything from baby products and toys to
household goods and family-friendly travel destinations. Sponsored posts, product reviews, and
affiliate marketing became common revenue streams.
13
Figure 4. This graph measures how many mothers were blogging between the years 2008 and
2014. (Credit: emarketer.com)
Figure 5: This graph measures the most profitable blog niches according to RankIQ, with
Lifestyle/Mommy ranking in 3rd with an average of $5174 monthly.
14
In tandem with the rise of mommy bloggers, the world also saw the rise of social media. Early
platforms such as Friendster (launched in 2002) and MySpace (launched in 2003), provided the
opportunity for users to create profiles and connect with others, but it wasn’t until the launch of
Facebook in 2004, YouTube in 2005, and Twitter in 2006 that the concept of social media
influencers began to take shape. YouTube was particularly revolutionary, enabling anyone with a
camera to create and share video content with a global audience. Early YouTubers like Michelle
Phan, who gained fame for her makeup tutorials, and PewDiePie, known for his gaming content,
exemplified the potential for ordinary individuals to build massive followings and influence
public tastes and trends. YouTube is known for compensating its creators directly. According to
research by Werner Geyser, founder of Influencer Marketing Hub, YouTubers make on average
$18 per every 1,000 views. In 2022, the average compensation for YouTube content creators in
the United States was approximately $1,154 per week, or approximately $4,616 per month.
Instagram, launched in 2010, catalyzed the influencer landscape by emphasizing visual content.
Its user-friendly interface that prioritized photos and short videos made it the prominent platform
for influencers to showcase their lifestyles, fashion, beauty tips, and travel adventures. The
subsequent introduction of features like Instagram Stories and IGTV further enhanced the ability
of influencers to engage with their audiences in real-time and through longer-form content.
15
Figure 6: This is a screenshot of the Instagram feed of musician Kehlani
Instagram also popularized the concept of micro and nano influencers—individuals with smaller,
highly engaged followings who often had more niche audiences. Brands began to recognize the
value of these influencers for their ability to drive high levels of engagement and authenticity,
often at a lower cost compared to celebrity endorsements.
16
Figure 7. – Though no reliable data has been verified about micro-influencers, the author
generated an AI graph that estimates their growth.
The social media space was interrupted once more by the launch of TikTok in 2016, introducing
a new dynamic to the influencer landscape with its focus on short, engaging videos and an
algorithm that promoted virality. TikTok quickly became a breeding ground for a new generation
of influencers, known for their creativity, humor, and ability to rapidly capture the attention of
millions. TikTok also popularized “NPC,” or non-playable character influencers, virtual
characters created using artificial intelligence (AI) and computer graphics designed and
controlled by developers or marketing teams that act as influencers on social media platforms.
17
Figure 8. As of August 2024, Facebook and YouTube continue to dominate the social media
landscape with 3 and 2.5 billion users respectively, according to DataReportal
Rise of Child Influencers
An unexpected outcome of these popular platforms is the rise of child influencers, making them
almost seem mainstream, normal. Child influencers capitalize on a well-established trend: child
and adolescent public figures exerting a distinct influence on consumer behavior. This
phenomenon has roots in the past, with icons like Shirley Temple in the 1930s and the Olsen
twins in the 1990s serving as effective brand ambassadors and shaping buying habits. With the
proliferation of social media platforms in the early 21st Century, the potential for individuals to
gain fame and influence expanded dramatically. Social media platforms such as YouTube,
Instagram, and later TikTok provided an opportunity where anyone, regardless of age, could
18
share content and build an audience. Circumventing many of these platforms enforced policies
that children under the age of 13 cannot be on the platforms, parents began creating accounts for
their children, documenting their lives, and sharing their talents, hobbies, and everyday activities.
But who could predict what happened next. . .
Ryan Kaji, a pioneer in the kidfluencer space, continues to be one of the most followed and
influential child influencers. Kaji’s exposure to the digital world started when he was only three
years old; inspired by his fascination with watching toy review videos, his parents decided to
create a YouTube channel where Ryan could share his own toy unboxings and reviews. The
channel quickly gained popularity due to Ryan’s charming and energetic personality, which
resonated with young viewers and their parents. The channel, now known as “Ryan’s World,”
expanded from simply toy unboxings and reviews to include educational videos, science
experiments, DIY crafts, and family vlogs. As of August 2024, Ryan’s World has 37.4 million
subscribers and has generated over 58 billion views across his videos on his YouTube channel,
making him the sixth most popular channel on the platform. Forbes reported that in 2019, Kaji
earned $26 million, making him the highest-paid YouTuber that year. His earnings originated
from multiple streams, including ad revenue from YouTube, merchandise sales, brand
partnerships, and licensing deals.
The late 2010s witnessed a surge in family influencer accounts, primarily focused on creating
"family" content centered around children. The LaBrant Family is currently one of the biggest
YouTube family channels, which amassed over 12.9 million subscribers and over 4.6 billion
views. The LaBrant Fam, consisting of parents Cole and Savannah and their five children, gained
19
immense popularity for their relatable, comedic, and family-oriented content. Their content often
showcases their daily lives, challenges, pranks, and heartwarming moments. Their eldest
daughter, Everleigh Rose has garnered popularity individually, garnering over 4.9 million
followers on Instagram curating dance and modeling content.
20
Chapter 3: The Problem
While these stats reflect a booming industry and funds for participating families, they also mask
a more sinister outcome. In fact, it’s outrageous how so many disturbing issues have erupted
because parents keep parading their kids online like accessories for content. One of the most dire
issues in the child influencer marketing space is the continued instances of child abuse and
exploitation by parents or guardians who manage their online presence. While the digital age has
provided unprecedented opportunities for fame and fortune, it has also opened new avenues for
potential abuse and mistreatment of child influencers at the hands of those who are meant to
protect them. “They’re working,” Karen North, a professor of digital social media at the
University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, said of
child influencers to New York Times. “They’re being told how to act and told what to say and do
for their parents’ pay and profit, but there are no restrictions the way there would be for a movie
or a TV show.” North is referring to the Coogan Law, named after Jackie Coogan, a former child
actor who starred alongside Charlie Chaplin. Upon reaching adulthood, Coogan discovered that
his parents had squandered the millions he earned as a child star. He sued them and won, leading
to the passage of the Coogan Law in California in 1939. The law, revised 60 years later,
mandates that 15 percent of a child entertainer’s earnings be placed in a trust. While the Coogan
Law is only in effect in the state of California, other states have ratified laws to protect child
actors. Unfortunately, child influencers and content creators do not fall under the umbrella of
protection of these laws. Financial exploitation, labor exploitation, emotional and psychological
abuse, and physical abuse are just some of the trauma children can be exposed and subjected to
in the kidfluencer space.
21
In 2021, mom vlogger Jordan Cheyenne faced backlash for a video where she instructed her son
to pose crying for a thumbnail. With over 500,000 subscribers at the time, Cheyenne was caught
in accidental footage pressuring her son to “act like you’re crying” as he genuinely cried over the
family’s sick puppy. Despite deleting the video, the clip went viral on multiple platforms,
sparking widespread criticism of sharenting and its effects on children. One Twitter/X user
pointed out, “The fact that he started to relax when his mom told him to put his head on her
because he thought he was going to be comforted… and it was all for a picture.” Another user
pleaded, “When are we going to make this illegal; children cannot consent to their image being
posted on the Internet and now this clip will follow him around forever.” The backlash resulted
in Cheyenne’s platform losing almost 30,000 subscribers. Cheyenne quickly issued an apology
on her channel, acknowledging her mistake and announcing a break from vlogging. Was she
really sorry? Or was she sorry that she made an editing error that exposed her true nature behind
the camera with her child? In a separate statement to Business Insider, she noted, “Getting
completely offline, canceling all videos and monetization, and prioritizing my child are all I care
about. I'm disgusted and horrified at what I did and there is absolutely no excuse. It's terrible on
so many levels. I love my child more than anything and will regret this moment forever.” As of
2024, her channel is still active but has significantly reduced its activity.
Unfortunately, Jordan Cheyenne’s ‘scandal’ is on the less severe side compared to others.
Machelle Hobson founded a YouTube channel in 2012, surrounding the life of her family, which
highlighted her seven adopted children. The channel, known notoriously as “The Fantastic
Adventures,” had attracted over 800,000 subscribers at its peak and garnered more than 250
22
million views across its content. It was estimated by social analytics site SocialBlade that
Habson and The Fantastic Adventures generated anywhere between $106,000 and $1.7 million a
year. Hobson had been no stranger to child abuse allegations, as Child Protective Services (CPS),
had investigated Hobson on nine different occasions over the years. It wasn’t until March 2019
when her adult biological daughter Megan Hobson sent a tip to the police to conduct a welfare
check that everything dark came to light. Upon investigation, the police found the children, aged
between 3 and 15 years old to be subjected to harsh physical abuse. The children were
malnourished with dark rings around their eyes. They shared the harsh reality of living under
Hobson with investigators, with one daughter revealing that Hobson kept her locked in a closet
for days at a time with no food, water, or bathroom, and pepper-sprayed the children, spanked
them, and forced them to have ice baths, in which she would push their heads underwater.
Another son revealed that on multiple occasions Hobson pinched the tip of his penis with her
fingernails until it bled. The children also revealed to the police that they were taken out of
school to produce content and were punished if they did not garner enough enthusiasm and
interest to record their YouTube content or recall their lines. Hobson was charged with 30 felony
counts of child abuse, and two of her adult biological sons, who were frequently featured on the
channel, were charged with failure to report the abuse. YouTube acted swiftly by demonetizing
then subsequently deleting the channel. YouTube also released in a statement that they work
with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to arrest and convict anyone whose
account depicts harm to children, adding that in the previous year it terminated and reported
46,000 offender accounts. Hobson died before she could be tried and convicted in November
2019, and the charges were later dismissed as a result of her death.
23
As YouTube stated, Hobson is not the only family influencer who has been abusing their
children behind the scenes. Parenting and family vlogger Ruby Franke, the matriarch of the
Franke family, was notorious for providing controversial parenting content and advice on her
YouTube channel the 8 Passengers. Founded in 2015, 8 passengers had amassed over 2.5 million
subscribers and 1 billion views on the video streaming platform. While the 8 Passenger channel
presented a seemingly cheerful portrayal of suburban Mormon family life, underlying parenting
tactics revealed an authoritarian, almost dictatorial approach. Despite this, the channel
maintained a substantial audience.
Experts in parenting and child development offer explanations for this phenomenon. “The
success of family vlogging channels like Ruby Franke's can play on people's fears about their
own parenting skills,” child development specialist Dr Siggie Cohen explained to BBC. "Parents
are scared to make mistakes, and look for someone that seems to them to be fully in charge and
in control." Parenting psychologist Dr Maryhan Baker also shared with BBC, "For parents who
feel lost and desperate, particularly when it's dealing with problematic behavior, extreme
techniques become appealing, particularly if they see results.”
Despite the loyal following, members of the audience began to question the well-being of the
children in 2020, when a comment made by Franke’s teenage son revealed that his bedroom had
been confiscated and that he was sleeping on a beanbag. This subsequently triggered a cascade of
events, including a petition calling for a child welfare investigation into the Franke family and
the resurfacing of older clips where Franke admitted to using food deprivation as punishment.
The controversies proved insurmountable, leading to the channel's termination in late 2021.
24
Franke subsequently left the public eye with her family, later re-emerging with counselor and
business partner Jodi Hildebrandt to launch the ConneXions YouTube channel and Moms of
Truth Instagram account in June 2022.
In late August 2023, Ruby Franke’s 12-year-old son was discovered at a neighbor’s home
requesting food and water. He had escaped from Hildebrandt’s home to make the request. Upon
inspection, the boy was found to be emaciated and had rope marks and duct tape around his
ankles. Further investigation revealed that Franke’s ten-year-old daughter was also found in
similar conditions, malnourished. On August 30th, Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested and
charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse, a felony, and were held without bail. Franke’s
four underage children were taken into the care of child services. YouTube subsequently banned
Franke from the platform indefinitely, deleting all channels associated with her. Franke and
Hildebrandt each received four consecutive sentences of one to fifteen years’ imprisonment,
meaning they must serve a minimum term of four years.
Young adults who have grown up in a world of family flogging and sharenting are now speaking
out on the psychological damage it brought to their upbringing and development. “Vanessa,”
now in her twenties, is a child of a renowned mommy blogger in the 2010s. She was the shining
object and hot topic of numerous videos and social media posts, garnering brand deals from top
companies such as Disney, Huggies and Hasbro. When she turned 18, she learned that not a
single sent from years of hard work was put aside for her. Vanessa shared with Cosmopolitan the
pressure of being the breadwinner of her family, “There was this idea that you have to look
perfect and pretty and like nothing is wrong all the time in front of the camera, and if it seemed
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like I wasn’t trying hard enough to maintain that image, like my smile wasn’t as bright as it
should be or I didn’t say a line with enough enthusiasm…that would usually devolve into
accusing me of not caring about our family. I was told by my mom, ‘Do you want us to starve?
Do you want us to not be able to make our payment next month on the mortgage?’” She
explained that the lifestyle had a heavy impact on her adolescent development, struggling to find
the separation between reality and social media. She also added that the lifestyle has cemented
the relationship she heralds with her mother. “Being an influencer kid turned my relationship
with my mom into more of an employer-employee relationship than a parent-child one. Once
you cross the line from being family to being coworkers, you can’t really go back.”
Twenty-five-year-old Cam Barrett is no stranger to this either, as her mother, an avid user of
MySpace and Facebook, would document everything about her daughter's life to her following,
down to the most minute detail. While the “sharenting” had its perks for Barrett–one of them
memorably being front row seats to a Demi Lovato concert – they did not outweigh the
embarrassment and anxiety she consistently experienced as a result of her mother’s social media
activity. Some horrific examples included her mother posting about her first menstrual cycle,
documenting a car accident aftermath instead of offering comfort, and exaggerating her staph
infection. “When I returned to school, my math teacher — who had seen my mother’s posts —
would taunt me and tell kids to stay away from the infected girl,” Barrett shared with
Washington lawmakers in an effort to push legislation to protect child content creators. “This led
to bullying and eventually to me dropping out of school.” Barrett also shared that as a direct
consequence of sharenting, a man once sent her a private message on Facebook when she was
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12, threatening he’d followed her home as she rode her bike and knew where she lived. As a
result of all of this, she understandably maintains limited contact with her mother.
The Predators
Adults like the man who contacted Barrett and the ones Dr. Hobson works with have and will
continue to go out of their way to get their fix by consuming child influencer content, thus
subjecting the children to sexual exploitation at the hands of strangers and the parents that are
supposed to protect them. In February 2024, the New York Times investigated the girl influencer
space, analyzing over 2.1 million Instagram posts, monitoring months of online chats of selfproclaimed pedophiles, and conducting hundreds of interviews.
Figure 9. Comment Measurement (Credit: NYT)
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This figure above is just a fraction of the comments left on a picture of a nine-year-old girl
dressed in a yellow bikini lounging on a towel. It’s evident that the users behind these accounts
have no issue -and certainly no remorse about- displaying their desire for the young girl. As per
Meta’s policy, all Instagram account holders must be 13 years or older. While many of these
children’s accounts are strictly run by their parents to primarily appeal to brands to recruit their
children to be models, influencers, and brand ambassadors, the harsh truth is that they are more
likely to garner the attention of adult men who are sexually attracted to children. “When a parent
posts a picture and [the child] appears more sexualized, like in a bathing suit, they get far more
likes and comments from adult men,” Hobson argues. The Times found via an audience
demographics firm that there were 32 million adult male followers attached to the 5,000 accounts
that the Times was investigating. Hobson also encouraged parents who run accounts for their
children to look at their Instagram account insights, as those are a clear map indicating which
demographics consume the content the most. In their audience analysis of these parent-run
accounts, The Times found that many accounts with more than 100,000 followers had a male
dominant audience of over 75 percent, with a few of them over 90 percent.
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Figure 10. This is a screenshot of Instagram’s follower demographic breakdown, available to
public and business accounts.
Some parents would take an extra step further and launch subscription-tiered options, giving the
audience the option to pay for more photos of their child and to also communicate with the
account on a more intimate level. This has led to an infiltration of adult men projecting their
fantasies on the child. Upon investigating chat groups hosted on Telegram, these self-proclaimed
pedophiles were claiming the easy accessibility that these accounts provide, with comments such
as “It’s like a candy store,” and “God bless instamoms.” The investigation also found that they
shared information about parents considered willing to produce and sell “private sets” of images.
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“Elissa,” a mom who runs an Instagram account for her 11-year-old daughter, found herself in a
tough spot as she started getting threatened and blackmailed by a pedophile. The user claimed
that she was “just as sick as us pedophiles” and warned that he will “make her and her daughter’s
life hell.” He warned that the only way to appease him was to complete “a small task.” When
ignored, the user contacted Elissa’s daughter’s school accusing Elissa of selling photos of her
daughter to pedophiles on Instagram. Elissa’s daughter’s account had over 100,000 followers and
she offered a subscription where people could pay $9.99 monthly to receive more photos of her
daughter. This user has been linked to five other mom-run accounts pertaining to threats of
blackmail, noting demands of sexual abuse and highly possessive behavior. These men are also
known to develop deep parasocial and obsessive relationships with the child that can be
enhanced and developed by engagement in the direct messaging (DMs) or subscription tiered
platforms provided by these social media sites. When discussing how this content and
engagement can stimulate the mind of a pedophile, Dobson says, “They start to fantasize about a
relationship with the image, ‘What’s she like? What would we do if we went out? What would
our relationship be? Could I teach her how to have healthy sex, because she’s so young?
Someone’s going to need to teach her, what would that be like?’” All of this is fueled and
encouraged by mom-run accounts, family influencers, and vloggers who expose their children to
gain fame and fortune.
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Chapter 4: What Are Platforms Doing About This?
Not enough. There have been many reports of Meta, the conglomerate that owns Facebook,
Instagram, and WhatsApp, have failed to act upon receiving information about inappropriate
activity across their platforms. Andy Stone, a Meta spokesman, said exclusively to the Times,
that parents were responsible for the accounts and their content and could delete them anytime,
“Anyone on Instagram can control who is able to tag, mention or message them, as well as who
can comment on their account.” With that being the case, it proves ironic that if an account user
blocks too many accounts in a day, they are restricted from blocking or following any more
accounts, being informed that they’ve ‘reached their limit.’ For parents running accounts for
their children, that finds them in a tough spot when it comes to limiting the inappropriate
accounts that boldly attempt to engage with their children’s photos. The Times reported that one
parent reported a man sending a photo of his erect genitalia to the child’s DM, another reported
an account reposting their child’s photos with explicit captions, with another blatantly
propositioning a child for “an hour” of sex for $65,000.
Meta’s response was nonchalant at the very least, rallying excuses such as stating the interactions
did not violate the community guidelines, or that staff did not have the time or resources to
thoroughly investigate the reports. Meta relies on technology to determine the verdict of reports.
An anonymous former employee who worked in the trust and safety department explained the
lack of support and resources required to efficiently keep the platforms safe, “You hear, ‘I
reported this account, it was harassing my daughter, why is he back?’ There are not enough
people, resources and systems to tackle all of it.” Meta has disputed this claim, arguing that they
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had invested over $20 billion since 2016 into safety and security, and have over 40,000
employees that work strenuously in this department (Horowitz, 2023).
In June 2023, The Wall Street Journal, in conjunction with the Stanford Internet Observatory,
found that Instagram’s interface and algorithm connects pedophiles and directs them to content
distributors. In their qualitative analysis, The Stanford Internet Observatory used hashtags
associated with underage sex to find 405 sellers of what researchers labeled “self-generated”
child-sex material—or accounts purportedly run by children themselves, some claiming they
were as young as age 12. 112 of those seller accounts collectively had 22,000 unique followers
(Stanford Internet Observatory, 2023). These hashtags, such as #pedobait and #mnsfw (minor
not safe for work) garner pedophilic memes, or discussions about access to children. Meta is
aware of these hashtags, even displaying a warning if the hashtag is entered in Instagram’s
search engine. Even with the warning, there is an option to bypass it, by clicking, “See results
anyway.”
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Figure 11. Screenshot of warning and options to get resources or see results anyway provided by
Instagram, taken by the Stanford Internet Observatory.
While other social media platforms were investigated by the Stanford Internet Observatory,
investigators found that Instagram had the biggest exposure to sexually exploitative activity.
Meta accounted for 85% of the child pornography reports filed to the National Center for
Missing & Exploited Children, including some 5 million from Instagram (Valentino-Devries,
2024). When flags were raised to Meta from the Journal with these findings their response was
minimal and ineffective; they removed certain hashtags and accounts in question, but upon doing
so, the algorithm was suggesting new accounts and new hashtags. It’s evident that not enough is
being done here, and Meta’s not oblivious to the wildly spreading epidemic.
In early 2024 The Journal also found that multiple departments within Meta alerted the company
in internal reports that hundreds of what Meta calls "parent-managed minor accounts" on
Facebook and Instagram, like Elissa, were using the subscription feature to sell exclusive content
not available to non-paying followers. The content featured young girls in bikinis and leotards
and it was marketed to a dominantly male audience, leaving some posts plagued with suggestive
emojis and sexual comments. Staff also found that Meta’s algorithms were directly promoting
child-modeling prescriptions to potential pedophiles. Subsequently, staff formally recommended
that Meta to require accounts selling subscriptions to child-focused content to register
themselves, so the company could monitor them. Meta decided to go in a different direction,
creating an automated system to prevent suspected pedophiles from being given the option to
subscribe to parent-run accounts.
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As we are well aware, Meta’s technology and automated systems have not always proven to be
effective. The ban could always be circumvented by just starting all over again, creating a brand
new account. In their own investigation the WSJ found a handful of accounts that did exactly
that; upon being suspended for illegal activity, and exploiting the children, the parent would
appear again from either a new account or a ‘backup’, secondary account. One parent-run
account banned previously for child exploitation had returned to the platforms and proceeded to
receive official Meta verification and garnered hundreds of thousands of followers. Other parentrun accounts previously banned on Instagram for exploitative behavior would simply jump ship,
selling child-modeling content via Facebook. Alex Stamos, Head of the Stanford Internet
Observatory and Meta’s former chief security officer, believes Meta has the most capability to
combat this effectively, internally, “That a team of three academics with limited access could
find such a huge network should set off alarms at Meta.”
The Journal also reported that during the establishment of this automated system, Meta expanded
the subscriptions program and the tipping feature, which subsequently led to instances of misuse
with the "gifts" tool. It’s important to note that while Meta does not receive any commission
from subscriptions as of now, they do receive commission from ‘gifts.’ Meta has implied that
they may begin to receive commissions from subscriptions in the future.
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Figure 12. A subscriber promo page for a child modeling account on Instagram, offering
exclusive content, ‘coaching’ and in-person events, for $19.99 a month. (WSJ)
While Meta has shared plans to combat child exploitation, their actions have told a contrasting
story. In late 2023, Meta announced their plans to start fully encrypting messages on the
Facebook and Messenger apps, enhancing their privacy measures. Meta had been warned prior
by critics and government officials that this move could hide criminal activity on their apps and
thus enhance it, most especially activity by child predators. The National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children released a statement saying that an implementation of end-to-end encryption
without exception for detecting child exploitation would be “a devastating blow to child
protection.”
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Chapter 5: The Parents
Now these statistics are alarming but they really beg the question: what role do the parents play
in all of this? Are they blissfully ignorant to the exploitation that they expose to their children, or
are they aware but outweighing the personal and financial benefits against the clear potential of
sexual, emotional, and psychological damage to their children? Unfortunately, research has
proven the latter.
Many parents, at least subconsciously, recognize that their actions could have potential long-term
negative effects on their children. One parent shared with the Times, “I really don’t want my
child exploited on the internet, but she’s been doing this so long now, her numbers are so big.
What do we do? Just stop it and walk away?” Yes. Stop it, and walk away. Instead of walking
away, they conclude the financial and social benefits, such as ‘numbers’, outweigh the potential
risks and violations that their children could face. “These kidfluencers experience privacy
violations, and the mothers were very aware of these privacy violations and also had a lot of
concerns but at the same time they decided to continue these profiles,” says Elisabeth Van den
Abeele, a PhD student at Ghent University. Elisabeth has dedicated her time and research to
investigate kidfluencers and sharenting and how children can be better protected in these roles.
She investigates the privacy paradox, which in this case refers to mothers being aware of the
privacy concerns surrounding sharenting yet still continues to expose their children on the
Internet. Her qualitative research found that risk benefit calculation within parents is a
subconscious process, justifying their behavior using cognitive biases. “For instance, ‘there’s
millions of children on social media, why would a pedophile choose my child?’ or ‘oh, but
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everyone uses social media so it’s very common that you share a picture online.’” Her research
also found that while knowing the ramifications of exposing their children online, sometimes
unknowingly to the children, parents are not willing to give up the financial and social benefits
sharenting provides, even disregarding the risks their personal behavior has on their child, as
opposed to external criminal activity.
In the most severe cases, parents are blatantly exploiting their children for financial gain and
know exactly what they are doing. In 2023, a mother was arrested and charged with working
with a photographer to produce illegal images of her daughter in a thong bikini in Louisiana and
in Texas, a mother was sentenced to 32 years in prison in December for producing nude photos
of her 8-year-old daughter with the same photographer. But for kidfluencers and momfluencers,
their content falls under a gray area, even at the most sexualized. While Meta overtly bans nudity
or any type of illegal content, parents have found their way around this rule. In staffers’ internal
report they found evidence that some parents understood they were producing content for other
adults’ sexual gratification and that parents even engaged in sexual banter about their own
children or had their daughters interact with subscribers’ sexual messages at times.
For content to fall under the category of ‘child pornography’, the law generally requires a
“lascivious exhibition” of the anal or genital area, but in unique cases courts have determined
content to fall under the category of child pornography without the usual nudity or sheer clothing
appearing in the content. Many parent influencers have mass produced content of their children
skirting this already gray and unregulated area.
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Wren & Jacqueline, a mother-daughter duo who had amassed over 17 million followers on
TikTok has been the latest account in the hot seat on social media as the mother, Jacqueline has
been sharing blatantly sexually suggestive content of her 4-year-old daughter, Wren. Jacqueline
has faced backlash on and over the content shared, which is less of her and more of her daughter
independently. While many momfluencers or family influencers share content with both parents
and children visible, Jacqueline never appears in her content, just Wren. Critics rightly point out
the oddity of this behavior, especially with Wren being too young to consent to this kind of
exposure. Others were also very concerned about the amount of ‘saves’ Wren’s content was
receiving especially when she was doing something sexually suggestive. Upon investigating Dr.
Dobson voiced similar concerns as well: “If the little girl was doing something innocent, not a lot
of saves, but if the little girl was doing something that could be seen as sexualized…shaking her
hips while wearing a skirt, 6,000 saves. Sitting in a chair? 12,000 saves. Sucking on a straw,
eating a turkey leg, eating a kebab, and then licking a straw? 20,000 saves…Changing her eye
color and almost looking seductive and older? 300,000 saves.” Some other videos include
Jacqueline asking Wren what makes her proud, and Wren responding “pooping,” Wren
swallowing gum resulting in Wren anxiously exclaiming “I swallowed it! Is that okay?”, and
Jacqueline pranking Wren by having her sit on a Whoopee cushion.
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Figure 12. Screenshots from now deleted TikTok videos from Wren Eleanor’s feed.
Many of Wren & Jacquelyn’s videos were plagued with comments ranging from sexually
suggestive to an audience genuinely concerned for Wren’s safety. Ironically the concerned
audience was noticing their comments calling for Wren to be safer and better protected by being
taken off the Internet were deleted by Jacquelyn. Tracy Walder, a former CIA officer and FBI
special agent, took her concerns about Wren to Parents.com, sharing her perspective as a former
agent, “This is a case where you have basically a 4-year-old as the sole star of the page, and
having no say in how she’s being exploited for money. As a former FBI agent, that’s deeply
concerning to me, both from child labor laws perspective, but also from pictures ending up on
the dark web, child predator perspective.” Walder has shared on TikTok that she believes that
Wren is being exploited by Jacquelyn, financially at the very least. Because it’s unclear how
much of Wren’s followers are adult men or child predators, Walder cannot blatantly state that
Wren is also being sexually exploited, but she does state that depending on the demographic of
following, it is possible.
39
Jacquelyn released a statement back in 2022 addressing the concerns expressed by the public,
“Online safety precautions I’ve taken include turning off the ability to download or duet our
videos. My TikTok analytics show that my account followers are 76.8 percent female - that’s
more than 13 million females…I do understand that there are individuals out there with twisted
minds, and online predators that prey on children. Never ever did I think that a child eating her
first corn dog at the county fair would be interpreted as ‘sexualized behavior.’ As false rumors
bubbled up in May, a concerned family member reached out to the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children. In June I contacted the FBI to discuss these false claims. The FBI then
informed me that no images of my daughter have been found on any appropriate sites…”
Many users didn’t buy this statement, nor find Jacquelyn’s approach about the severity of the
matter genuine or authentic, especially since Jacquelyn continued to share content that
exclusively featured her daughter for another year and a half after releasing her statement. Upon
further research, TikTok user Bekah Day found a broken link that contained, ‘wren-eleanorsweety-wren-instagram-naked-photos-and-leaks.’ In April 2024 Dr. Hobson revealed that
Jacquelyn sent her an email in response to her video dissecting her and Wren’s content, “It’s a
long email, ‘It doesn’t matter what somebody posts if you want to find something wrong, you
can twist it into something sexual.’ And then continues to say fame has gone to my head, I
should be a nice person, I probably am a nice person and I am leading to direct threats to this
child by calling out this account and they’re praying for me.” In July 2024, Jacquelyn deleted all
the content on her TikTok and made their less engaged Instagram account private.
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It’s evident that there are many factors contributing to the growing problem in this unregulated
market. Are these so-called benefits that brands and parents revel in truly worth the expense of
children’s safety and innocence? How can we, as a society, and lawmakers stand idly by and
continue to turn a blind eye to this? What can we do to better protect our children?
Clearly just “monitoring” sites and parent behavior isn’t going to do the trick. But, I contend
that concrete steps can be taken to ameliorate the situation.
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Chapter 6: What Role Can PR Play in Tackling This Issue?
Exploitation of child media stars is not a foreign concept as evidenced by the aforementioned
Coogan Law. More recently, a ‘60s teenage heartthrob Paul Peterson, who played the goofy son
on the popular tv program The Donna Reed Show from 1958 to 1966, became an advocate for
youth employed in the entertainment industry. According to another 1960’s child TV star,
Stanley Livingston, “Paul went toe-to-toe with state lawmakers on behalf of child actors and
other children who work in similar industries like modeling in California and elsewhere to
secure safety and pay protections for them. Many of the laws benefiting working minors came
as a result of Paul’s determination and efforts.” In 1990, Petersen established the organization A
Minor Consideration to support child stars and other child laborers through legislation, family
education, and personal intervention and counseling for those in crisis.
The child influencer market needs not only an advocate like Paul Peterson or a few NYT articles,
but a comprehensive information campaign to expose the horrors of exploitation and garner a
call to action upon legislators/regulators to enact stringent laws. Fortunately, legislation has been
taking steps in the right direction. In August 2023, Illinois passed an amendment to their child
labor law, requiring that children aged 16 and under be compensated if, within a 30-day period,
they are in at least 30% of a video or online content for which the adult, whether a parent or
caregiver, is being paid. The bill went into effect July 2024, making Illinois the first state in the
country to have legislation passed specifically protecting child influencers. Minnesota has
followed Illinois, passing a law in July 2024 to go into effect July 2025, requiring all proceeds
generated from content creators that are under the age of 14 be saved in a trust for the child. In
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September 2024, California governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that required minors featured
in vlogs to be monetarily compensated, with funds required to be put in a trust for the child,
similar to Coogan’s Law. Washington, Maryland, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Ohio all have
legislation protecting child influencers in deliberation.
As the public relations industry converges with advertising and marketing, a unique opportunity
arises to safeguard child influencers. PR professionals can play a pivotal role in establishing and
upholding ethical standards that prioritize the well-being of these young individuals. By
developing comprehensive guidelines addressing age-appropriate content, privacy protection,
and exploitation prevention, the industry can mitigate the potential risks associated with child
influencer partnerships. Through close collaboration with brands, influencers, and social media
platforms, PR agencies can ensure that campaigns and collaborations adhere to these ethical
principles, fostering a safe and responsible environment for child influencers.
PR agencies are also in the unique position to enforce the legislation in place now and in the
future, ensuring that contracts are fair and that the financial earnings of child influencers are
properly managed and protected. By collaborating with legal experts, PR agencies also have the
opportunity to advocate for stronger legislation that specifically addresses the rights and
protections of child influencers in the digital space.
PR professionals can play a critical role in safeguarding child influencers by educating parents
and guardians about the potential risks of online fame. This includes providing resources on the
long-term impacts of public exposure, the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between
43
online and offline life and recognizing signs of stress or exploitation. By empowering parents
with knowledge, PR can help them make informed decisions to protect their child’s well-being.
Agencies working with brands targeting a primarily prepubescent audience should be equipped
with expertise in child welfare to effectively educate and support parents.
As horrifying as it seems, the child influencer marketing industry is only going to continue to
grow. It’s going to take villages to come together to combat and regulate the $8 billion industry.
Through these efforts, the PR industry can be a powerful ally in protecting child influencers,
ensuring that their rights and well-being are prioritized in an increasingly digital world. By
advocating for ethical practices, educating parents, and collaborating with legal experts, PR
professionals can help create a safer, more responsible landscape for the next generation of
influencers.
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Conclusion
It’s clear that we now live in a society dominated by social media, where anyone—even
children—can be catapulted into stardom overnight. The influencer industry is a staggering $8
billion enterprise, with kidfluencers contributing approximately $26 million annually
(Masterson, 2020). For parents struggling to support their families and maintain their lifestyles,
this statistic is enticing. When they find success, they often prioritize that success over the longterm harm it inflicts—not on them, but on their children. As long as this niche industry remains
unregulated, more children will develop asynchronously, exposed to the risks of exploitation by
predators. Parents have a primary responsibility to protect and nurture their children so they can
lead fulfilling lives of their own one day. Forcing children into work without proper
compensation is nothing less than child abuse. These children are not receiving the protection
they deserve, and as a society, we must do better by them. Listen to the voices of the children
who endured these hardships—they didn’t emerge unscathed. When they call for action, it comes
from a place of immense courage, as they speak out about the traumas of being child
influencers—lives they never chose. They never consented to have their personal lives turned
into ‘relatable content’ for an audience of thousands. The stories of Ruby Franke’s children,
Machelle Hobson’s victims, and countless others stand as living proof of the dangers children
face in this unregulated space. While we may not be able to eradicate evil, we can and must
better protect the future—our children—from its reach. Let’s unite to preserve the innocence of
these children, who deserve far more than being commodified for our entertainment. They
deserve protection. They deserve action. And, most of all, they deserve a voice.
45
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online, Information, Communication & Society, DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2023.2205484
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
The continued rapid growth of social media has brought forth a unique phenomenon: the rise of “kidfluencers,” children as young as toddlers and pre-teens who have garnered millions of followers on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. These young influencers are now key players in the marketing world, generating significant income for themselves and their families. However, beneath the surface of this seemingly innocent and entertaining trend lies a troubling reality—one marked by a lack of regulation, raising serious concerns about the exploitation of children for financial gain and their exposure to potential harm from predatory individuals. This white paper investigates the child influencer industry by exploring key themes, and the exploitative practices that thrive in this largely unregulated space. Through a detailed literature review and subsequent content analysis, social media metrics, case studies of high-profile controversies, and an examination of existing child labor laws, this research identifies the risks and gaps in protections for these young influencers, while issuing a call to action to the public relations and advertising industries, emphasizing the critical steps needed to address this growing issue.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Udeagha, Adaku Diva
(author)
Core Title
The threat of exploitation of "kidfluencers" & the role PR must play
School
Annenberg School for Communication
Degree
Master of Arts
Degree Program
Public Relations and Advertising
Degree Conferral Date
2024-12
Publication Date
11/08/2024
Defense Date
11/07/2024
Publisher
Los Angeles, California
(original),
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
child influencers,children,influencer marketing,influencers,Journalism,OAI-PMH Harvest,PR,Public Relations,sharenting,social media,social media influencers
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theses
(aat)
Language
English
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Electronically uploaded by the author
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Floto, Jennifer (
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), Cherry, Melanie (
committee member
), Turner, Mikki (
committee member
)
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saraiudeagha@gmail.com,udeagha@usc.edu
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UC11399DBD7
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Udeagha, Adaku Diva
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Tags
child influencers
children
influencer marketing
influencers
sharenting
social media
social media influencers