‘Kidfluencer culture is harming kids’ without meaningful regulation
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They groom their kids as social media kidfluencers — allowing them to work with brands to sell products to other kids (and adults).
Parents share information about their children for a myriad of reasons, including connecting with friends and family, and seeking validation or support. However, some parents also do this for commercial gain. They groom their kids as social media kidfluencers — allowing them to work with brands to sell products to other kids (and adults). The latest interim report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for Digital Platform Services Inquiry discusses key issues related to Kidfluencer, including privacy concerns and potential labor exploitation issues.
Our research, recently published in the journal M/C, highlights how kidfluencer culture opens the door to potential child abuse and other problems. There is a clear need for regulation in this area – and achieving this will require a collective effort. Is YouTube the world’s most popular babysitter? Speaking to Forbes in 2019, Eyal Baumel, chief executive of ULA (a management company that also manages digital child stars), described YouTube as the most popular babysitter in the world. Since then, the COVID pandemic has prompted an increase in screentime for children, who are promoting toys as well as other products typically targeted towards adults. This is the big business of preaching to children. The global toys market was projected to grow from approximately US$141 billion by 2028 to US$230.6 billion in 2021. It is now common to see YouTube Kidfluencers marketing toys to other kids through toy reviews. But these videos are not the same as traditional product reviews. They blur the lines between the three major styles of marketing: reviews, branded content, and entertainment.
The most popular toy review channels have millions of subscribers, and their hosts are some of YouTube’s top earners. Ryan’s World is probably the most famous channel of this genre. Rough estimates suggest that the family of 10-year-old Ryan Kanji earns around US$25 million a year. Instakids are on the rise In addition to YouTube (now more popular among kids than television), a growing number of kids and teens are also spending time on Instagram. According to a 2021 report by child protection organization Thorne, nearly 40% of children under the age of 13 (out of approximately 750 interviewed) said they would use Instagram. Actually this forum is only for people of age 13 and above.
For our latest research, we analyzed the Instagram accounts of two Australian influencer siblings to better understand the nature of child-to-child marketing in 2023. At the age of 11, Pixie Curtis started her online toy store Pixie’s Pix during COVID when toy sales spiked around the world. This came after her early success selling hair bows through Pixies Bows, a business managed by her mother, PR entrepreneur and reality TV personality Roxy Jacenko. The Instagram accounts of Pixie (who has approximately 136,000 followers), and that of her brother Hunter (20,000 followers), are used to promote Pixies Pix toys, as well as other brands and products.
And although Pixie has recently retired from the toy store business, she will continue to endorse products, including her original line of hair bows, and skincare and beauty products from other brands. Our research identifies key areas of concern, including: lack of online privacy for Kidfluencers, many aspects of whose lives are promoted online commodification of children, and enabling a culture of selling products and services to them sexualization of toys Over-focus on marketing and girls’ appearance (which can be detrimental to their self-esteem) Quiet marketing of toys and other products through advertisements.
Regulation is needed now So far, France is the only country that has taken concrete action to regulate the labor of child social media influencers. Under French law, children under 16 can only work a limited number of hours, and their earnings must be kept safe in an account accessible when they turn 16. France is also considering legislation to regulate sharing – a portmanteau of sharing and parenting that describes the tendency to persistently post content about one’s children on social media.
In the US, the Coogan Act (named after child star Jackie Coogan) was signed into law in 1939 to regulate child labor in the entertainment industry, but no equivalent legislation has been enacted for child social media stars. Nonetheless, the problems associated with kidfluencing are beginning to attract attention around the world. A report by the UK House of Commons last year examined the implications of influencers targeting children with ads, particularly those who make little or no disclosure of whether the post is an advertisement.
The committee made a number of recommendations, including promoting youth social media literacy, developing a code of conduct for influencer marketing, and strengthening the powers of the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority. As a result, the UK Department for Education is now open to exploring legislative ways of improving employment protections for those affected by children. Unintended Consequences of Regulation In January, Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) held its first summit on youth safety and wellbeing.
It may be trying to get on the front foot as regulators continue to scrutinize the platform over issues related to young people’s use of social media. But regulating the Kidfluencer space won’t be easy. In March, Utah introduced legislation to prevent children under 18 from accessing social media without a parent’s explicit consent — but critics have pointed to potential negative consequences. Teens use social media for important contacts, including friends and online support groups.
Vulnerable teens can become isolated without the online support of their peers. Furthermore, social media provides children with a sense of enjoyment and identity. Taking it away can do more harm than good. More work is needed to determine what effective regulation would look like. While parents and teachers have a role to play in increasing the social media literacy of children, digital platforms and businesses must also take the lead.
Disclaimer:IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.
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