Is Big Tech to blame for the dark underbelly of family influencing?
Issue #80
If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you know this is a fraught moment for parenting influencers. Many of these family content machines like to show us a very curated, particular side of their lives. Some internet-famous families are getting in trouble for what goes on behind the scenes. We’ve had a peek behind the curtain, and when the cameras are rolling, it’s not gentle parenting and wholesome fun, but exploration and even abuse. And, other influencers or aspiring influencers are in hot water for their on-screen antics: parents cracking eggs on their kids’ faces, lying to them about giving their pets away or filming their kids hurling rude and misogynistic insults at someone off camera.
You might be asking yourself why anyone would do this kind of thing. What’s the point of the questionable behavior on-camera, and the abuse off-camera? Why are these parents chasing likes, followers and comments at the expense of their children’s welfare? The answer is engagement. The parenting influencers who post this content have figured out what kinds of things bring the most eyeballs to their channels, and they’re leaning into that.
Obviously, on an individual level, the parents are responsible for the choices they make. Exploitation and abuse are never okay, regardless of the motives. But I think we see so much of this kind of content because large tech platforms have created the perfect conditions for it to thrive.
That’s because the platforms are built to prioritize engagement—and we already know that outrage, violence and generally divisive content are what keep people scrolling and clicking. These platforms are designed to maximize the amount of time you spend using them because your attention is how they make money. The algorithms amplify things accordingly. And if you’re hoping to make waves as an influencer of any kind, you work the algorithms.
Influencing is big business. Last year, the global market was valued at $16.4 billion. Kidfluencers and family influencers stand to rake in vast amounts of money. If their content is popular, they could be making millions of dollars a year. The amount of money at stake makes things all the more complicated since the kids who are featured in this content aren’t legally entitled to any of the money that content makes. While traditional child actors have legal protections, most states don’t yet have similar laws on the books to protect kidfluencers.
Even if you take money out of the equation, the allure of likes and comments can lead people to do unusual things, like throw a slice of cheese at their children’s faces. One of the first articles I ever wrote was about the cheese slice challenge, and what it means to post a video of you tossing processed dairy at your kid’s face. It might be a quick hack to gain clout online, but it’s also a quick way to ensure their early memories include crying in front of a camera.
But at the end of the day, shady family influencers are just a symptom of a larger issue. Sure, they’re creating the content, but the platforms are the ones that created the medium. I think families deserve better from tech companies. As parents, we need tools that help us give our kids the best of the digital world, not tools that encourage us to exploit them.
A deeper dive
Here are a few helpful resources in case you want to really dig into today's topic:
Family content channels don’t exist in a vacuum. Many of these channels have millions of followers, and the content has billions of views. As the controversy associated with this kind of content grows, fans are asking themselves: “Is it possible to ethically continue to watch family channels?” If the work amounts to exploitation, then I think the question answers itself.
This article here does a good job of breaking down what it means to be a kidfluencer. While the content we see might look nonchalant, candid and low-key, the reality of creating that content is anything but. “These children are under pressure, whether from their parents or from their algorithms, to produce content on a regular basis. Being a child social media star also involves a potential loss of privacy and a reframing of one’s image with one’s peers, which may be either positive or negative.” And, it makes it even pricklier that these children have no legal right to any of the money that content generates.
TL;DR
Too long; didn't read. It shouldn't be a full-time job to keep up on industry news, so here is a mercifully quick summary of some other notable developments:
As parents, we’re inundated with frightening headlines about the terrible ways technology is harming our kids. In that atmosphere, it’s easy to start looking at tech as the enemy, even though that’s not always the case. I enjoyed this article, which features first-hand accounts from teenagers about their relationship with technology. You might be surprised by what you read.
People of all ages embrace technology, but all too often, Big Tech ignores large demographics of users. We already know most technology isn’t designed with kids in mind, but another age group that’s often ignored is seniors. This is a sizeable population with money to spend, but Silicon Valley seems keen to keep its focus trained on younger users. Personally, I think tech companies should be working hard to connect people of all ages because that’s one of the major promises of technology.
And lastly
Here are a few more pieces of original writing from me and my team—just in case you're keen for more:
It’s common for families to be spread far and wide, which is why technology is such an important lifeline for staying connected. If you’re looking for fun ways to stay close with older relatives, my team has some suggestions here.
And, if your family uses video calling to stay in touch, you might already know that keeping kids engaged can be a challenge. Here are some ideas for having fun with younger family members regardless of the distance.