Content warning: This article mentions topics of child abuse.
Family vlogging has become popular in recent years, collecting millions and millions of views from a wide audience. The whole thing is based on recording moments of their lives and putting them out for the world to see across various social media platforms. While we can agree an adult has the ability to consent to this, the real question is, can a child?
Well-known laws, like the Coogan Law, have been put in place for child actors due to the consequences of the lack of such policies in the past and are meant to protect some of their financial assets. Other laws help limit how many hours a child can work and keep their education intact. Unfortunately, we’re not at a point where child influencers are given the same attention as adult influencers and, therefore, not given the same protections.
Exports reported that the practice of family vlogging, which often reveals intimate moments in a child’s life, can cause serious harm to a child’s mental state, according to the Associated Press.
Ruby Franke, the mother in the “8 Passengers” YouTube channel, was arrested on several charges of child abuse last year. Her videos had been controversial for a while, showing strict parenting and harsh punishments long before she’d been arrested. Her daughter, Shari Franke, recently spoke out against family vlogging.
“I want to be clear that there is never, never a good reason for posting your children online for money or fame. There is no such thing as a moral or ethical family vlogger.”
Shari Franke, 2024
Children are filmed continuously throughout the day and their embarrassing moments are uploaded online to garner attention. Not to mention, digital footprints are permanent. Sure, according to Shari Franke, some receive financial compensation. However, they’re working all day, every day, the second the camera turns on. It doesn’t stop.
It’s not just a couple of families out there doing this. There are hundreds of child influencers on the internet. Thankfully, several states, such as Illinois and California, have implemented laws to regulate this, but it’s still not perfect.
According to AP, California passed a law protecting child social media influencers that took effect in July. The regulations require parents who profit from posts featuring their children to set aside earnings for those under 18. Illinois passed a similar measure in August 2023, protecting those under the age of 16.
We’ve heard the stories of child actors in Hollywood. Jennette McCurdy’s book, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” shows a glimpse into her life as a young actor. Audiences were very receptive to the shocking backstory McCurdy disclosed about her abusive mother. There is an argument that we will need to potentially extend that same ear when child influencers speak up and reveal their stories.