What are the ethical implications of Child Influencers?
Being a child influencer is big business these days. Kids are raking in cash by posting their videos on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. But who is looking out for their rights?
Teens are under immense pressure to perform for their followers. They are often working long hours and are constantly in the public eye. This can be damaging to their mental health and well-being.
There have also been reports of child influencers being exploited by unscrupulous companies and adults. In some cases, children have been paid very little for their work or given free products in exchange for positive reviews.
We must protect the rights of child influencers. We need to make sure they are being treated fairly and are not being exploited in any way. Social media can be an excellent platform for creativity and self-expression, but we must look out for the welfare of our young people.
Nastya, a seven-year-old Russian girl, and Ryan Kaji, a ten-year-old US boy who lives in Florida, are two child influencers on YouTube's most recent list of top 10 earners. Nastya and Ryan earned over $50 million combined last year. And that's not including sponsorship or television deals.
According to Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University, you can make a lot of money in the online video space. He can understand why parents might not want to stop their children from entering the game.
TAMA LEAVER
"It's easy to think, 'My kid could make money too if they saw how much I made from posting online,'" he notes.
But when a kid goes from fooling around on the internet to working for money, even if they aren't one of the few who make millions – what are their rights? And what does a parent's duty entail?
Leaver believes that we need to discuss the ethical implications of child influencers. He says that while there are benefits to social media, we need to be aware of the risks and make sure our kids are protected.
Australia is lagging in terms of legislation.
Not only does YouTube provide a way for children to monetize their videos, but platforms like Instagram and TikTok can, too, says Professor Leaver.
He suggests that Australia follow France's example to better protect its young content creators online.
" France is most likely leading the way in regulating child influencers," he says.
The country has established a maximum number of hours that an under-16-year-old may work online and guaranteed "the right to be forgotten," meaning platforms must remove a child's data if requested.
The child's earnings are also deposited into a bank account they cannot access until they turn 16. Professor Leaver says the UK and other jurisdictions are currently testing or considering various laws.
"Although Australia has many great things, we have to accept that there is not a lot of them."
At what point does it turn into a job?
Because the number of child influencers is growing, it's becoming more urgent for Australia to pass legislation regarding them.
Jordan Michaelides, managing director of talent agency Neuralle, regularly hears from parents seeking to have their children represented.
JORDAN MICHAELIDES
"We constantly receive requests," he says.
And he says he's spoken with up to 60 parents in the last year who are managing their children's budding influencing careers.
He argues that there is a point at which an online hobby becomes something more.
"It's like a job when you reach 100,000 followers and get 100,000 views per video or post," Mr Michaelides explains.
That is when parents begin seeking out managers.
However, it might be difficult for them to get representation.
Child influencers in Australia struggle to find management due to the lack of clarity around rules and regulations.
According to him, the legislation in Australia surrounding payment is unclear, making it difficult to ensure that the payment will go to the child instead of a parent's bank account.
That is, in my opinion, the most significant problem I see in the industry today. Hopefully, at least.
"It makes things very difficult for managers in terms of complexity."
The child must be the one to do it
There are only a handful of full-time child influencers in Australia, says Sarah Letts, head of content solutions at digital media organisation TotallyAwesomeTV.
Susan Letts, the company's founder and owner, works with many of them, and she has developed strong professional relationships with most of their parents, who serve as children's managers.
She adds that parents typically shoot content on weekends and "always have their [children's] best interests at heart."
"They all discuss saving for the future, how the kid will have a savings account, and that they'll learn to budget and plan for later life," she says.
Although some will be able to save enough for an apartment, this isn't the case for everybody. Some parents might take the standard 20% management fee, but many decide against it because they want their child's nest egg to grow as much as possible so their offspring can attain financial independence.
Ms Letts states that child influencers are more prevalent in America, where some parents produce six videos per week with their families.
"Not everyone makes it," she says.
Ms Letts' son tried to make a successful career out of his surfing vlogs, but it didn't work. Even though he wasn't successful, she says he gained new skills from the experience.
Although he's never made money through his YouTube channel, she says he's gained confidence, a belief in himself, on-camera experience and had a lot of fun.
She and her spouse have encouraged their son's internet video profession, noting that it allowed him to "capture [his] youth for us."
All those moments captured his journey and growing up, which we can now look back on and enjoy seeing how he has changed since then.
She advises against pushing an agenda for other parents considering enabling their kids to be social media influencers.
"The child should always be in the lead," she says.
As Mr Michaelides states, this topic will only become more prevalent in Australian households.
He claims, "We're nearly three years late compared to the US; however, they are currently discussing it overseas. It will most likely become a popular topic of conversation here very soon."
It is essential to ensure that the children are in charge as this will be their career, not the parents.
This way, the parents can avoid any legal implications and also allow the child to build a successful future for themselves.
What do you think? Is your child already an influencer? Let us know in the comments below.