Child "Influencers" (Exploitation)

Titchy Pony said:
OK, this is where I'm confused. If Tattle (I've never heard of it before) is specifically for criticising (and not nicely) anyone vaguely known, why on earth would any influencer and / or (minor) celeb even open the page? I would work on the principal of ignorance is bliss. Unlike other platforms where people can comment / contact you directly, this appears to just be a forum for people to vent their worst thoughts. Why expose yourself to it? And for heavens sake, why let a child access it?!! A child shouldn't even know it exists, let alone that there are people on it criticising them from pictures / videos their parents posted of them.

Also, yes, perhaps think carefully about posting about your children online, because you are opening them up to this kind of criticism.
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I've seen a few of the adult equestrian influencers have to say "stop sending me links to Tattle". People will be outraged on their behalf by some criticism and feel the need to let them know, even if they don't want to.
 
smolmaus said:
I've seen a few of the adult equestrian influencers have to say "stop sending me links to Tattle". People will be outraged on their behalf by some criticism and feel the need to let them know, even if they don't want to.
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Yes, this definitely happens. And there are vile quotes from Tattle across other SM platforms, often with comments such as 'look at this disgusting comment by the Tattle scum! How can they sink so low!' - seemingly ignorant of the fact that, by quoting, they have just given oxygen to this bin fire. It's incredibly difficult to avoid. I know that some of these influencers - and other people who are in the spotlight - are incredibly thick-skinned, but many of them have chosen their path in full knowledge of the fact that they will attract nastiness. The same can't be said of young children, who aren't really in a position to make that choice.

It's interesting that there are parents who (understandably) do not give schools permission to publish photographs of their child on social media platforms or school websites.
At the same time we have the polar opposite - parents who will post as many photos and videos as humanly possible, often linked to financial gain.
 
It’s a very scary cycle that has to be broken by some pretty strict legislation imo.
Part of the issue we have is that SM/influencing has now been around long enough that the tweens exposed early are now of parental age, it’s becoming more normalised to a greater percentage of the younger population
 
I guess also by virtue of being an influencer you are constantly craving/needing to understand what interaction is on the internet as their business is their online life? Mugs game but it guess if successful you could potentially earn a lot of money? It's just it's there for all to see and comment on.
 
mariew said:
Huh? Um not sure I understand the context of this comment apart from that you don't like swearing. I'm not sure swearing leads too entitlement?
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We have a strict code of conduct for sm, but companies who have children as influences don't seem to have them. The more views they get the better. Just go have a look on tiktok and it makes you shudder. The more they do the more entitled they become.
 
Kaylum said:
We have a strict code of conduct for sm, but companies who have children as influences don't seem to have them. The more views they get the better. Just go have a look on tiktok and it makes you shudder. The more they do the more entitled they become.
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This is so not the point of why I started the thread. The point is that they shouldn't be there in the first place.

Whether they are entitled, rude, cute, talented, nice, horrible, whatever...it's not really relevant because they should not be being used in this way.
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
This is so not the point of why I started the thread. The point is that they shouldn't be there in the first place.

Whether they are entitled, rude, cute, talented, nice, horrible, whatever...it's not really relevant because they should not be being used in this way.
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Totally agree they shouldn't. It was just an observation of the behaviours other children see.
 
Kaylum said:
Swearing in front children, swearing at children, children swearing all on sm. It's no wonder they are rude and entitled.
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Sorry, but what? They’re all quite different.

My children know about swearing, they’ve almost certainly heard me swear, they’ve picked it up from school etc but they are also very aware of when and where it can be used. A swear word if you hit your shin in private is very very very different to telling a teach to fudge off.

Not sure what that has to do with social media. They both know they’re not allowed that.
 
Its a bit different the context of the swearing. Im going to struggle as im a potty mouth and if I stub a toe/nearly trip over the multitude of toys over the lounge/driving etc swear words do escape!

There's a big difference between them hearing it like that (obviously I need to try and stop when my baby starts talking!) vs them being allowed to access inappropriate content (looking at you tik tok and fortnite etc) because parents wont parent. Why are primary aged children being allowed to play fortnite when i believe its a 12(?). It then doesn't help the whole peer pressure and them all being allowed to play it because others are (my mum would have said would you jump off a cliff just because they are!)

Primary aged children having smart phones too. Why? I can completely understand a brick for walking to and from school if they do that alone but there is no need for them having iphones etc

Also seeing children in restaurants with a tablet in front of them. Back in the day you were taught to sit there and behave, at most with a colouring book/book

I actually filled in the government survey on the consultation about a social media ban for under 16s as I feel it is needed

It's frequently schools who are left to pick up the pieces and deal with the fall out

Interesting several of the mums of "influencer" children look similar...

It is so very very toxic, it needs social media to stop allowing these people to be paid so much money, especially if children are exploited. Also companies need to stop sending these children free products, id far rather see them sending things to schools/charities such as women's refuges for the children there rather than these damn "influencers"

Stop putting these people on a pedestal
 
I'm Dun said:
Tattle is obscene. It absolutely should be shut down. I looked at it once out of curiosity, never again. I can see how a young teenager would get in such a state over it. Poor, poor girl. I hope shes at peace now.
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Whilst it certainly has its dodgy moments, in this case, Tattle was not the cause of the poor girl's troubles.

I used to read the equestrian thread on Tattle until they locked it to members only and flicked through a few of the other threads from time to time. When it comes to child influencers, the threads I've seen are fairly self-policing - anyone criticising someone underage is immediately jumped on and reminded that the person in question is a minor and should not be discussed.
 
It was our DD' birthday today, and she wanted us all to go to our local pub for a meal. It was fairly busy when we arrived, and we sat at a table next to a family. There were around 4 adults and three children aged about 18 months to 4 years old.

The eldest child was sitting at the table, eating their food, whilst glued to a mobile phone playing random $hite VERY loudly. We tolerated the incessant noise for a few minutes, then we thankfully managed to move to a different table at the opposite end of the restaurant.They had absolutely no consideration for anyone else at all.

We have children. Three of them. When they were little and we ate out, we took colouring / puzzle books etc, and we used to TALK to our children to keep them occupied.

And then, just as we were getting ready to leave, a little lad started whizzing around the restaurant on his balance bike! 🤦

FGS can't anyone parent their kids these days?!
 
Baywonder said:
It was our DD' birthday today, and she wanted us all to go to our local pub for a meal. It was fairly busy when we arrived, and we sat at a table next to a family. There were around 4 adults and three children aged about 18 months to 4 years old.

The eldest child was sitting at the table, eating their food, whilst glued to a mobile phone playing random $hite VERY loudly. We tolerated the incessant noise for a few minutes, then we thankfully managed to move to a different table at the opposite end of the restaurant.They had absolutely no consideration for anyone else at all.

We have children. Three of them. When they were little and we ate out, we took colouring / puzzle books etc, and we used to TALK to our children to keep them occupied.

And then, just as we were getting ready to leave, a little lad started whizzing around the restaurant on his balance bike! 🤦

FGS can't anyone parent their kids these days?!
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Some pubs are banning children and of course there's an outcry from some people that it's 'not inclusive'
When I was young children weren't allowed in the bar - there was a dingy 'family room' out the back if you were lucky

Like you Baywonder when mine were small we took colouring books etc and made sure they behaved like civilised people; if one of them started getting loud or fidgety it was time to go
I love pubs but they are (or should be, imo) primarily for adults; if your kids need to run around or be noisy go to a park or a soft play place instead
 
This is a tough one and I think it stems from choice. The reason I find this a tough one is because on the one hand, you are putting young children on the internet and in the world of AI- it terrifies me... On the flip though, there are some child influencers who have gone on to have amazing opportunities and have built a world and business for themselves out of it. Look at Harlow- she now has an empire that is hers between her clothing line, merch, Youtube, ponies etc. She's been able to access better education (home school via a tutor).

I have a 17 month old daughter and she will not be going on the internet for anyone to see.
 
Baywonder said:
It was our DD' birthday today, and she wanted us all to go to our local pub for a meal. It was fairly busy when we arrived, and we sat at a table next to a family. There were around 4 adults and three children aged about 18 months to 4 years old.

The eldest child was sitting at the table, eating their food, whilst glued to a mobile phone playing random $hite VERY loudly. We tolerated the incessant noise for a few minutes, then we thankfully managed to move to a different table at the opposite end of the restaurant.They had absolutely no consideration for anyone else at all.

We have children. Three of them. When they were little and we ate out, we took colouring / puzzle books etc, and we used to TALK to our children to keep them occupied.

And then, just as we were getting ready to leave, a little lad started whizzing around the restaurant on his balance bike! 🤦

FGS can't anyone parent their kids these days?!
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This is a different issue though- this is screens being given to kids and not learning to behave!
 
cauda equina said:
Some pubs are banning children and of course there's an outcry from some people that it's 'not inclusive'
When I was young children weren't allowed in the bar - there was a dingy 'family room' out the back if you were lucky

Like you Baywonder when mine were small we took colouring books etc and made sure they behaved like civilised people; if one of them started getting loud or fidgety it was time to go
I love pubs but they are (or should be, imo) primarily for adults; if your kids need to run around or be noisy go to a park or a soft play place instead
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What if you are out for the day? I don't fancy taking my kids to a soft play area just so we can have some food. Plus the food in most softplays are horrific for nutrition etc.

I take colouring books, activities for her etc. Alot of pubs aren't pubs these days, they are restaurants. We shouldn't be banning families.
 
CanterAndBanters said:
This is a tough one and I think it stems from choice. The reason I find this a tough one is because on the one hand, you are putting young children on the internet and in the world of AI- it terrifies me... On the flip though, there are some child influencers who have gone on to have amazing opportunities and have built a world and business for themselves out of it. Look at Harlow- she now has an empire that is hers between her clothing line, merch, Youtube, ponies etc. She's been able to access better education (home school via a tutor).

I have a 17 month old daughter and she will not be going on the internet for anyone to see.
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But Harlow is also missing out on normal child things. Call me old fashioned but school is about much more than education.
And what if she wants to change her mind about horses in a few years, as many teenagers do? She’s in a situation where she’s basically pressured to keep it going to keep the money coming in to fund the lifestyle they’ve now built.
 
scats said:
But Harlow is also missing out on normal child things. Call me old fashioned but school is about much more than education.
And what if she wants to change her mind about horses in a few years, as many teenagers do? She’s in a situation where she’s basically pressured to keep it going to keep the money coming in to fund the lifestyle they’ve now built.
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She can always go back to school- she tried home schooling previously and hated it so went back. Esme also pivoted her content. Alot of influencers go on to own media companies (Esme and Elphick do!).

I don't like the thought of school anyway and want to homeschool my little girl. It's personal choice at the end of the day in relation to the homeschooling element.

I wouldn't say she is missing out, she seems to have alot of friends, does sleepovers etc and alot of kids these days enjoy making videos. If thats what she enjoys then she can. I do think her mum pushed her into the limelight though as she did with Harlen all those years ago with Instagram but again, it's a parenting choice. I wouldn't do it personally.
 
Again I think the enjoyment element of it is irrelevant. Children (and tbf most adults including me!) don't have a full concept of what it means to put their information, including images and videos of themselves, out on to the internet.

There are various resources out there for children about online safety. It's not good enough to say 'oh well they like making videos' so that's alright then, and it's definitely (coming back again to the point of the thread) not okay for parents to be monetising that and selling their children out to any brand that hasn't caught up to 'this will not age well'.
 
It's really naive to think that it's fine because of the money she's* made. The money and the opportunities are only a small part of the equation - her childhood and her privacy have been sold, and there's no way a child can comprehend what that means, or what the consequences will be for them psychologically in the future. The consequences for children with fame in more traditional media, which is far better regulated, shows that the outcomes are often poor despite the financial gains.


*this isn't really about a specific influencer, it's a statement that applies to any who are profiting from social media.
 
Re. Homeschooling- the experience and quality of home education varies massively. Where it’s good, it tends to end up very expensive because parents have to buy in subject specialists; one parent told me that it would have been cheaper for their child to go to a small independent school where they would have had more facilities/opportunities. The other extreme is so-called ‘homeschooling’ where parents and children effectively do nothing at all beyond very basic skills (and sometimes not even this). It is pretty much an unregulated area in the UK and I’ve come across some real horror stories. Lots of schools have serious problems but home ed is not necessarily any better and can be worse.

I have to say that I am now avoiding giving business to brands who support the child influencers. I am naturally drawn to businesses linked to ‘good causes’ and in my view this is the total opposite. I may be a drop in the ocean but I choose not to be part of the social media child influencer movement!
 
I’m an 80s child and I absolutely detest the social media and influencer culture. I believe that the smart phone is one of the worst inventions ever made and it is changing society and not for the better.
I wouldn’t let any child of mine be making videos at the age of 9/10 for YouTube. God knows how many revolting men there are out there using her content.

As for home education, i believe very few people do it well.
 
I suspect they don't know anything other life as they were brought up to do this. Therefore they don't know there's a different life out there. I'm not sure it's much different to say the Jackson five or the Olsen twins?
 
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