The era of the family spectacle
In recent years, millions of families have started documenting children in videos and live streams that generate views, followers, and income. The phenomenon — known by researchers as sharenting or kidfluencing — turns intimate routines into content measured by metrics and algorithms, often without safeguards for privacy, emotional development, or fair compensation for minors.
When play turns into a script and exposure
The problem is not just cute videos: reports and studies show children pressured to perform, daily routines filmed almost without pause, and scenes that expose them to aggressive comments, harassment, and security risks. Psychologists warn of impacts on identity, self-esteem, and consent — often compromised when the “yes” comes only from a legal guardian.
Parents, audience, and the attention economy
For many parents, creating content has become a source of income or a business. Brands and platforms monetize reach; algorithms reward emotional and repeatable content — and children become the means, not the end. This dynamic strongly incentivizes maximum exposure, even at the expense of rights and well-being.
Legislation in motion — examples and gaps
Some governments have already responded: U.S. states like Illinois have passed laws requiring financial protections and applying rules similar to those for child actors. Similar proposals are emerging elsewhere, such as in New York, with advocates calling for deletion rights and trust accounts to ensure children receive a share of the profits. Still, legal coverage remains uneven, leaving significant protection gaps.
Documented consequences — cases raising alarms
Recent cases show that online fame can hide abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation — when the pursuit of audience justifies potentially harmful practices. Young people who grew up under constant filming report loss of autonomy and trauma linked to an image that remains permanently online.
What international organizations recommend
Agencies such as UNICEF and UN bodies call for integrated policies: limiting commercial exposure, offering tools to remove content, educating parents, and creating legal frameworks that reconcile child protection with family freedom. Recommendations include protection from violence, preservation of privacy, and safeguarding of children’s economic rights.
How judges and lawmakers can act — practical proposals
- Recognize child-related content as protected labor: apply rules similar to those in entertainment — time limits, legal supervision, and ensuring part of the income goes into a trust fund.
- Right to removal and correction: allow children, upon reaching legal age, to request the deletion of seriously invasive content.
- Mandatory financial transparency: require accounting and fair revenue sharing.
- Digital monitoring and parental education: empower child protection agencies to monitor practices and educate families about risks and consent.
Rethinking the value of childhood
This is not about banning families from sharing memories, but preventing the pursuit of clicks from turning childhood into a product. Clear rules can balance family freedom, economic protection, and the right of every child to grow up free from exploitation.
References
- UNICEF – Protecting Children From Violence and Exploitation in Relation to the Digital Environment
- Honey, I Monetized the Kids: Commercial Sharenting and Protecting… – Georgetown Law Journal (PDF)
- Protecting Children by Limiting the Right to Profit From ‘Sharenting’ – Vanderbilt / JETLAW (PDF)
- New York State Bill (S. 825) to protect child influencers
- TechPolicy.Press – The Coming Wave of Child Influencer Regulation
- Business Insider – report on regulation of ‘mommy bloggers’
- Springer article – Child Labor in Social Media: Kidfluencers, Ethics of Care…
- UNICEF Innocenti – Protecting young digital citizens
- UNICEF – Tackling online violence against children
- Columbia Law (JLSP) – Expanding Publicity Rights to Protect Children in Monetized Social Media