There are some profession boundaries that are not fully defined, so we act based on what we think is right. A lot has changed ever since the advent of internet, then social media. The dynamics of career and the practice of it has changed. There used to be some kind societal boundaries drafted for human conduct but, we now live in an era that only gratifies anything that is worth monetizing.
Being an influencer is not as easy as it seems, it takes skill, practice and consistent usage of the internet. Due to the complexity of this profession, it is capable of taking a toll on anyone without the mind to bear the pressure. For adults and experienced influencers, we see how the career path has led them into creating unethical content, just to remain relevant. I wouldn't call it an intentional act but it definitely an act directed by the desire to survive because, the profession is crowded.
If adult who are capable of telling the difference between what is wrong and right, can be led astray by the demands of being an influencer, then what will happen to kids. A lot of people would say something like, starting young helps them cultivate good presentation habit and learn all that is there to learn about the profession before becoming adult. But, we are not talking about teenagers, this is about kids being used for content creation.
It definitely looks like they are the influencers but they are not. They are just being used for the profession by their handlers. I have seen kids with early exposure to the media become a shadow of themselves. The first thing they learn how to do is how to perform on screen, they never had the time to discover themselves or cultivate habits that makes them relevant. Public validation becomes their only identity, to be acknowledge, to be seen becomes a necessity.
It takes a strong mental health to filter whatever is seen on media/internet in order to remain true to oneself. So when you put a kid on this path and start grooming them to become better at it, it is definitely fun at first. People love watching kids do amazing stuff, they gain followers, fan base e.t.c but what happens to this kids after that? A large portion of kids in this category end up developing performer syndrome. They find it difficult to separate reality from their life onscreen.
They have only been taught how to perform in front of the screen not how to live like a human. We have examples of kids like that in our society, what exactly have they become in today's society? Some of them had to depend on drugs to perform or to cope with anxiety. While some make a fool of themselves online, doing all sort of unethical stuff just for attention and it makes you wonder, are these not the amazing kids we used to enjoy watching?
What they have become, is what we have created. They are product of parents or adults who prioritized monetisation, career over children's wellbeing; which is quite sad. This is not just about exploitation because some parents that engage in stuff like that might have good intentions about their child's future. This is about parents not being able to fully grasp the dangers of what they are leading their children into.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled Kid influencers in hive learners community.
Cover Image - generated using chatgpt
The bigger picture isn't mostly considered. Well, that in the sense of how destructive this could be, even when with good intentions, not necessarily exploitation involved. Kids should learn and enjoy to be kids, not turn performers so early that they lose childhood in the bid to go down this path.
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