Used to be financially advantageous to have lots of kids in the United States. Children were allowed — often forced — to work, and parents relied on them to support the family.
Then, child labor laws happened, and children, for the most part, were prohibited from being forced to work in factories, mines, and other places. Children were now something families had to support, not something that could support families.
This shift changed how our culture thinks about kids, and often couples avoid having kids because of the financial burden.
With rare exception, there are few ways for children to make enough to support a family, and, thankfully, there are laws to protect them (though sadly these laws are often ignored when it comes to migrant and other children marginalized by society).
With the rise of user-generated content, I have wondered if would-be and current parents are now looking at their current and future children as potential moneymakers.
My two kids have been watching YouTube from an age that was probably way too young, and they have always gravitated toward the kid “stars.”
I get it. It is cool to see other children doing things you like to do.
I am not even totally mad about it.
I think there is some debate about a child under the age of, say 13, being fully aware of what it means to be YouTube/TikToK/Instagram famous, but if they are old enough to be able to vocalize their feelings, I can accept it on a case by case basis.
Babies and toddlers are a different story. There are thousandsof accounts featuring babies and toddlers. Many are just parents sharing their child's milestones with family and friends. Even some of the more public profiles feature little ones, but more as a part of a broader experience of the parent. I understand and can accept that.
What disturbs me is what appears to be a deliberate and calculated attempt by influencers and would-be influencers alike to grow their platforms using a very cute commodity.
For example, there is this one YouTuber who subjects his baby daughter to all kinds of cringey antics just for the sake of likes. The baby is oblivious, of course, and doesn't seem unhappy or unloved, but how far will it go? As she gets older will she have to keep playing along? Will she pressured to help keep up the family business?
There are legal protections for child actors, designed to keep them from being exploited by their parents and other adults. These laws also ensure that these kids will retain the money they've earned.
No such protections exist for child social media stars.
Last month, Teen Vogue shared the story of a young woman, who spent much of her life in front of the camera, helping her parents achieve financial success to a point where they were able to quit their jobs. Even after she expressed a desire to stop being a part of their YouTube exploits, she was shamed by her family for not helping them maintain their lifestyle.
Obviously, there are YouTube kids who are not subjected to this type of extreme coercion, but the fact that it can happen so easily is alarming. Most social media protection is focused on the child viewer not the child influencer, and until that is addressed, I am afraid more kids will be turned into reluctant breadwinner.
It's not the factory or the mine, but it is child exploitation.