Child Exploitation: Family Vlogging
By Kate Bevins
Famous for her family vlogging channel “8 Passengers” which amassed over 2.3 million followers, Ruby Franke shocked the internet when she pleaded guilty to 4 counts of child abuse. The popularity of this case exploded, largely due to their strong internet presence, and the recently released docuseries. This case has opened a pandoras box, forcing the public, and lawmakers, to consider the tremendous impacts of family vlogging on the children. Stricter laws must be implemented, protecting the children involved in family vlogging channels.
Family vlogging creates a moral dilemma, as parents are both the “gatekeeper and the ones benefiting from the sharing of their children’s personal information” (CyberNews). These conflicting motives can bring out the worst in many parents. One brutal example of this is from another former family channel parent Machelle Hobson, who “police say the children were starved, pepper-sprayed and otherwise punished when they did not remember their lines or want to participate in the videos” (CNN). Society likes to believe parents always know what's best for their children, but often they cannot be trusted when money is involved. Another pressing issue regarding family vlogging is the fact that on social media, anyone – including child predators – can view children without restrictions. A study done by Pew Research Center discovered videos featuring a young child had, on average, three times as many views as videos that did not feature a young child. Parents can utilize this statistic to their advantage, pushing their children to do more on camera to garner more views and thus profit.
Child exploitation has tremendous negative mental health impacts on children, especially as they grow into teenagers and adults. “In family vlogging, there is no distinct boundary to establish where parenting ends and monetization begins” (Psychology Writing). It is impossible to create a normal family dynamic for children in these situations as homes lack privacy and comfort in the same way they do for most children. This alone can destroy childhoods for those involved. One teenager who has spoken out against the impacts of family vlogging is Ruby Franke’s daughter, 22-year-old Shari Franke. "If I could go back and do it all again, I’d rather have an empty bank account now and not have my childhood plastered all over the internet. No amount of money I received has made what I’ve experienced worth it” (Fast Company). This powerful testimony proves that child vlogging impacts children well into their adult years. Children are not aware of the implications family vlogging may present in the future, which reinforces the fact that stricter regulations must be enforced that focus on protecting children from exploitation.
Many countries have taken great strides in protecting children from family vlogging. France paved the way with its creation of laws that target high earning child influencers. This law “offers them the same protections as those given to child models and actors in France, with their earnings placed in a bank account until they turn 16” (BBC news). The United Kingdom and the United States have followed with their own privacy laws for children. For example, California’s governor recently signed 2 new bills protecting child influencers.
Though family vlogging provides mindless entertainment for those watching, child influencers are forced to watch their childhood disappear before their eyes, all while their parent yells at them to smile for a camera. Parents are meant to protect their kids from the horrors of this world, but the strength of greed is instead driving them to broadcast their child to an internet full of predators, judgement, and hate. It is time to stop treating children as a money-making commodity and for lawmakers to step up and speak for those who are unable to find a voice. Shari Franke says it best in her novel, The House of My Mother. “Our grief had been reduced to a mere commodity, packaged and sold, consumed and discarded”.
Work Cited
https://www.fastcompany.com/91228243/family-vloggers-child-labor-laws-states