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And it\u2019s not just about labour issues. A 2024 study<\/a> published in the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy<\/em> found child influencers experience specific negative impacts, \u201csuch as affecting individuals\u2019 work-life balance, their education, how safe they felt online and physically, how they maintained friendships, pressure to increase their profile and their mental health well-being.\u201d This doesn\u2019t even take into account the sexual<\/em> exploitation that is rife in kidfluencing spaces, which a 2024 New York Times<\/em> investigation<\/a> broke down in nauseating detail. According to journalists Jennifer Valentino-DeVries and Michael H. Keller, \u201cthousands of so-called mom-run accounts examined by The Times offer disturbing insights into how social media is reshaping childhood, especially for girls, with direct parental encouragement and involvement.\u201d<\/p>\n Obviously, as a child of mega celebrities, Brooklyn has probably not faced the same kind of exploitation as the children in that Times<\/em> expos\u00e9, or even as Claire. But I\u2019d argue these disparate examples are still on the same spectrum. They all involve a blurring of the lines between leisure and labour, and private, public and professional. They all subvert the child\u2019s needs and desires in favour of revenue generation. And all those things matter, even if the labour looks or seems fun. <\/p>\n The other thing that makes this spectrum of exploitation so troubling is that it doesn\u2019t necessarily look or feel like abuse; in fact, it can seem totally loving. Last year, Netflix released a three-episode series<\/a> about Tiffany Smith, an L.A. parent whose daughter, Piper Rockelle Smith, built a massive following by creating content alongside a \u2018squad\u2019 of friends. In 2022, 11 families whose children belonged to that squad filed a lawsuit against Tiffany alleging she had emotionally, verbally, physically and sexually abused their children. Even among this very dark turn of events, though, the documentary tries to capture the nuance of kidfluencing. That is, the fact that these parents aren\u2019t trying<\/em> to exploit their children. They are, on some level at least, motivated by love. As Variety<\/em> wrote<\/a> in its review, \u201cat times in the docuseries, it\u2019s hard not to judge the parents for putting their children\u2019s lives online for millions to see, but there are also several scenes that depict deep family connections and love. Each of the families believes in the kid influencer career, which has given them the freedom to spend more time together, even though the struggle to stay relevant is a constant stress.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\nLoving your kids isn\u2019t protection from exploitation<\/strong><\/h2>\n