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Children's Internet celebrities: How much does it cost to become famous at a young age? | Reading periodicals

Children's Internet celebrities: How much does it cost to become famous at a young age? | Reading periodicals

"8-year-old teenager live broadcast to support the family", "mother paints retro women's clothing for 12-year-old children", "Mengwa Internet celebrity account monthly income of 150,000"... While many parents are still worried that their children will lose themselves in Internet surfing, some children have become "tide makers" in the tide of self-media short videos.

For these "children's Internet celebrities", a common ridicule is "forbidden to operate for children, but children have to be in business", and their natural "funny" and "cute attributes" are easy for them to quickly gain the love of the audience.

However, their situation is also often worrying and controversial: behind the joyful daily life, are the "business" children really happy? Does the experience of "touching the net" disrupt the social rhythm of their normal growth? Are the parents behind children's Internet celebrities "drying babies" or "nibbling babies"?

In fact, the phenomenon of children's Internet celebrities not only appears in China, but even created a proper noun "Kidfluencer" for them abroad. For example, a child born in 2011, Ryan, made $22 million in 2018 by evaluating toys and conducting children's science experiments on a well-known video site, becoming the site's highest-paid influencer that year. And many "little chefs" and "little beauty bloggers", and even children who attract people's attention with their cute and funny performances are also popular with foreign fans.

Starting from case studies from abroad, this issue of Reading Magazine hopes that they will help us think about and care about what is happening around us: Why do we like the presence of certain images of children on the Internet? What does going down the path of "internet celebrity" mean for these kids? Why is the phenomenon of "child influencers" worrisome, and what measures can help regulate it? In fact, a common thread running through these issues is that we must think seriously about what exactly is "the same way" with children.

Written by | Xie Tingyu

The Disappearance of Childhood: When Children Are "Other" Anymore

When discussing "child influencers", people have mostly focused on how this phenomenon affects children. However, a "front-load" question may be what makes "children's influencers" so popular. In fact, in reality, we are more likely to see the spit on the "bear children", and even often observe the spread of "child-loathing" emotions. But in contrast, the image of children on the Internet is very popular. A report in the Wall Street Journal pointed out that "Vlad and Niki", "Like Nastya" and "Kids Diana Show" are the three most popular live children's channels on well-known foreign video websites; Their total subscriber count is approaching 300 million.

To understand this contrast, Neil Postman's famous book The Disappearance of Childhood may provide us with possible clues. As he points out, "childhood" is gradually "discovered" in the process of modernization, and this "discovery" has a twofold effect: on the one hand, special care and protection for children are thus justified; But on the other hand, children are also gradually "othered" - compared to adults, children often do not have complete rationality and conscious moral concepts... In this way, while being cared for and protected, it is imperative to "upbring" and "discipline" children - the process of "socialization" is aimed at eliminating the "other sex".

Children's Internet celebrities: How much does it cost to become famous at a young age? | Reading periodicals

Gavin Thomas, the once-popular "fake smile boy" around the world, may be among the first batch of children's Internet celebrities to become famous.

It is not difficult to find that the emotion of "child loathing" is born from this, and when people face children who cannot communicate and lack moral awareness, but have to bear the responsibility to protect them, helplessness and disgust will emerge. If you carefully analyze the "children's Internet celebrities", you will find that their types seem diverse, but in fact, they all present a kind of elimination of the "other sex". Because of this, people feel that their image is easy to accept and contrasts sharply with reality.

Children's Internet celebrities: How much does it cost to become famous at a young age? | Reading periodicals

The Disappearance of Childhood, by Neil Postman, translated by Wu Yanxuan, CITIC Press, 2015.

By retrieving the relevant information of children's Internet celebrities, the author roughly divides foreign "children's Internet celebrities" into three categories: the first category is the "happy" type of children's Internet celebrities represented by "Vlad and Nikki", "Like Nastile" and "Diana Children's Show" mentioned in the Wall Street Journal. One comment pointed out: "The films broadcast on these three channels are like live-action cartoons staged in suburban Neverland." Kids dressed up as superheroes crawl through giant vegetables or drive around in motorized toy cars. Mom and Dad also became their playmates. ”

Children's Internet celebrities: How much does it cost to become famous at a young age? | Reading periodicals

The well-known children's Internet celebrity channel "Like Nastile" promotion image.

The second category is a group of "teenagers" influencers, such as the British "football prodigy" Lorenzo Greer (whose channel is called Tekkerz kid), according to the Guardian, at the age of six, his father published his first video of playing football on a well-known foreign video website. His football skills and cute appearance attracted a lot of attention. Today, he has his own brand and participates in Nike's global campaign with French star Kylian Mbappe. In addition, he has partnerships with toy brands Lego and Hasbro.

The third category is "funny and funny" influencers, who imitate adult words and activities (such as complaining about the pressure of going to work, imitating teachers, and even drinking and smoking) and creating a huge sense of contrast. It can be seen that in these three types, children's Internet celebrities either strive to approach and integrate into the "adult world", or blend and interact with the adult world. The "other sex" that makes people feel uncomfortable or even unable to communicate is dissolved in it - which is conceivably the key to the success of "child influencers".

Because of this, "children's Internet celebrities" present a kind of "hyper-real" that distorts reality. In this sense, this cultural phenomenon is precisely not conducive to "child empowerment". As a previous article in the Beijing News Book Review Weekly pointed out (to discuss "child loathing", the voice of children needs to be heard): It is true that the process of socialization is necessary, but this process must be premised on acceptance, listening and compliance with the "other opposite sex", rather than simply imagining in the mass media that the "other person" of children can be eliminated. Because of this, from the perspective of the "audience side", the popularity of such "children's Internet celebrities" may not be a good sign. In fact, it reflects the continuing difficulty of accepting and living with the "otherness" of children. As one author put it, "Children are part of society, but they are forgotten citizens." ”

Children's Internet celebrities: How much does it cost to become famous at a young age? | Reading periodicals

Lorenzo, the "football prodigy" who appeared in the British newspaper The Guardian.

The life of an influencer: When "everyday" becomes a livelihood

So, from the "production side", what about the situation? The vast majority of kids influencer account operators (many of whom are their parents) provide a narrative that children are not "working," but showing their daily routines and hobbies, and that all they do is record this, at most to help children develop existing hobbies.

But in fact, the work experience of "child influencers" greatly depends on parents, fan communities and even platform mechanisms. Compared with these links, children's Internet celebrities who are the "protagonists" themselves are in the most "powerless" position. According to The Guardian, Machelle Hobson, a 47-year-old Arizona woman, has been charged with child abuse. She requires all her adopted children to star on her video site channel "Fantastic Adventures," which has more than 700,800 followers and has accumulated more than 242 million views. If children do not remember their lines or do not listen to instructions, they will be abused. In addition, there are parents who use their pranks to tease their daughters on April Fools as a gimmick - they threaten their daughters to send away the family dog.

Pressure from the fan community can also affect "child influencers". According to a study by Catherine Jane Archer, a scholar at Edith Cowan University, and Kate Delmo, a scholar at the University of Sydney, child influencers generally lack privacy, and their appearance, words and deeds are easily exposed to the "gaze" and "evaluation" of fans. Therefore, they often have "self-defeating" emotions due to the evaluation they receive, and may even be harassed by "illegitimate meals". Lorenzo, the "soccer prodigy," is often surrounded by children who know him – mostly well-intentioned, but occasionally mixed with jealous provocations.

Finally, video platforms' referral mechanisms can also be a source of stress. Platforms tend to focus only on the most popular channels, which means that "child influencers" must strive to get good "data" for each of their videos. Once the channel is cold, the resulting gap is often difficult to accept. One "child star" Sheila James Kuehl said in an interview with the Guardian: "It's not just about simply unwrapping gifts, it's work, and if you want to make money from it, it's not a game." ”

Children's Internet celebrities: How much does it cost to become famous at a young age? | Reading periodicals

American internet celebrity twin sisters Ava McClure and Alexis McClure.

Of course, many parents of "child influencers" still say that they fully respect their children's wishes and try to isolate the pressure of fan communities and platforms. For example, twins Ava McClure and Alexis McClure, in the United States, are known for shooting "everyday life" videos. The twins are almost never "in business," and their videos are mostly filmed and edited by their parents. It is reported that each 8-12 minute video requires 1 hour of shooting and more than 12 hours of editing time. At the same time, their parents said: "If they ask to close their account, then we will respect that choice." It's a stressful world. We prioritize life outside of social media. If this all ends tomorrow, it will be an amazing journey for us as a family. ”

Still, people are worried about the overall situation of "child influencers". The "daily as work" state can be both a pleasure and a trap. "Children's influencers" lack dedicated workplaces and labor protection mechanisms – in fact, everything that happens within the family is often considered a "private matter" and not easily monitored. At the same time, children's "will" is also easily induced and manipulated. In fact, there is no shortage of children's influencers who grow up regretting their experience. TeenVogue, a former "kids influencer" interviewed by the pseudonym Clair, said parents of kids influencers "share more than just a certificate of honor for winning an elementary school spelling contest or a photo of your smile on your first day of college." Instead, intimate details of life, from videos of crying to videos of parents disciplining their children, are shared. Children who don't yet have a clear sense of self and boundaries may not think it matters, but as adults they can easily feel embarrassed.

The possibility of regulation: when childhood needs to be defended

Due to the above concerns, there have been widespread calls abroad for legislative protection of the rights and interests of "children's Internet celebrities". Among them, it is often invoked the Coogan Law (or "California Child Act" enacted in the United States to protect child movie stars in the last century. The Act was enacted in 1939 and is named after Jackie Coogan, America's first child movie star. Coogan partnered with Charlie Chaplin in the 1921 film "In Search of the Child", and then rose to fame, and then starred in a series of MGM films, earning as much as $4 million as a minor. He had hoped to take control of his fortune at age 21, but after his father's death and his mother's remarriage, he learned that "every dollar a child earns before he turns 21 belongs to his parents." ”

Children's Internet celebrities: How much does it cost to become famous at a young age? | Reading periodicals

American child star Jackie Coogan. In order to protect the rights and interests of child actors, the United States named after him in the 30s of the last century and enacted the Coogan Act.

In response to many appeals, the Coogan Act was enacted, which requires parents to deposit 15% of the income of child movie stars into trust accounts; It also requires that child movie stars' performance contracts be approved by state courts – rather than unconditional trust that parents will act in the best interests of their children; In addition, the bill requires child movie stars to have "rest and recreation" time on set, and that work must not interfere with their education. After 1999, the requirement was further advanced and child movie stars owned their entire income, not just the 15% set aside in the trust account. Parents can use the remaining 85% to take care of their children, but at the end of the day, these are the property of the children. Thus, in principle, the child can initiate a lawsuit if the parents do not use the money according to their wishes.

In contrast, the protection of their rights and interests on the major platforms where "children's Internet celebrities" are located is still quite inadequate. Since social media platforms such as Youtube and Instagram prohibit children under the age of 13 from owning their own accounts, the accounts of "child influencers" are effectively owned by parents. As a result, most negotiations with brand sponsors are entirely controlled by the parents, and their income is also owned by the parents. All the platform does is "provide families with a variety of educational materials... To ensure that creators are aware of our policies and applicable labor laws when minors are involved in their videos. ”

At present, France is at the forefront of legislation. For "children who spend a lot of time working online and generating income through their work" under the age of 16, the bill provides them with the same protections as child models and actors – their earnings are deposited into bank accounts, their work agreements require permission from local authorities, and it also provides for the "right to be forgotten", which obliges platforms to remove content at the request of the child. Stricter control measures have also been introduced in China. According to People's Daily News, the mainland's "Opinions on Strengthening the Protection of Minors in the Online Cultural Market" proposes to strictly control minors' participation in online performances, and seriously deal with live broadcast rooms or short video accounts that appear in minors alone or brought by adults for more than a certain period of time and are verified to use minors to accumulate popularity and seek benefits, or use child models to pose indecently, make sexually suggestive gestures, etc., to attract traffic and bring goods for profit. ”

Children's Internet celebrities: How much does it cost to become famous at a young age? | Reading periodicals

Promotion image of the well-known children's Internet celebrity channel Vlad and Niki.

The legislative system solves the so-called "principal-agency problem", that is, when the labor is borne by the "child Internet celebrity" but the results are enjoyed by the parents, the interests of the "entrusting party" (child Internet celebrity) and the "agent" (parents) are not consistent. By clarifying the ownership of "business" income by child influencers, parents' motivation to seek personal gain against the child's will will be weakened.

However, perhaps the more important work lies in accepting the "other sex" of children and learning how to "live with" with them. In The Rational Animal of Dependence, Alasdair McIntyre argues that children must grow up with a series of "virtues" in order to become qualified "practical reasoners"—that is, members of the adult world. However, the development of these virtues first requires parents to possess a series of qualities, such as providing security for the child and making the child an object of continuous care and commitment; Its commitment should be unconditional in many respects; The most important thing is the child's needs, not their needs in the relationship with them. Similarly, the viewers who watch "Kids Business" and the platforms that serve as a medium of communication are far from "innocent". Every watch from viewers is recorded by the platform, which in turn translates into recommendations and rewards that encourage specific types of videos. Therefore, when viewers and platforms "join forces" to "reward" the "hyper-real" representation of the children concerned, what they are actually encouraging is a kind of "structural injustice" aimed at eliminating the "other sex". Therefore, defending the childhood of "children's Internet celebrities" will be a systematic project that attaches equal importance to legislation and social education.

Reference materials:

(1) Wall Street Journal: These "little influencers" made tens of millions of dollars on YouTube:

https://www.storm.mg/article/4699081?page=3

(2)'It's not play if you're making money': how Instagram and YouTube disrupted child labor laws:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/apr/24/its-not-play-if-youre-making-money-how-instagram-and-youtube-disrupted-child-labor-laws

(3)'When I’m 16, my baby brother will take over': the rise of the kidfluencer:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/mar/23/rise-of-the-kidfluencer-tekkerz-kid-mcclure-twins

(4) Beijing News Book Review Weekly: To discuss "child loathing", we need to hear children's voices:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/7cxARBeVfrJTikjAZFZAkQ

(5)‘Kidfluencer’ culture is harming kids in several ways – and there’s no meaningful regulation of it:

https://theconversation.com/kidfluencer-culture-is-harming-kids-in-several-ways-and-theres-no-meaningful-regulation-of-it-204277

(6)Influencer Parents and The Kids Who Had Their Childhood Made Into Content:

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/influencer-parents-children-social-media-impact

(7)France passes new law to protect child influencers:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54447491

(8) The "Opinions on Strengthening the Protection of Minors in the Online Cultural Market" was issued to jointly curb the phenomenon of hype "Internet celebrity children":

http://society.people.com.cn/n1/2021/1220/c1008-32311811.html

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