In the late 2000s and early 2010s, YouTube gained popularity with its increasingly successful original content. These include the family vlog genre: videos dedicated to documenting the daily lives of families, including children. While this may be harmless and wholesome in theory, in practice it is inherently exploitative.
Family channels on YouTube are doing really well. The most popular ones have tens of millions of subscribers and their videos can get millions of views. This level of involvement leads to profit. For such a large channel, their advertising revenue is enough to stay afloat. Additionally, many of these families often supplement their income through other business ventures, such as sponsorships and merchandise. These parents knowingly gain money by allowing their children to post to the Internet.
The children featured on the Family Channel are too young to consent to public release. They are too young to understand that the internet is eternal and nothing can truly disappear or be deleted. Their every awkward outfit and bad haircut will be immortalized, not just by their parents’ Facebook friends, but by millions of strangers. Every natural yet awkward stage of their childhood will be documented and scrutinized up close.
To keep ratings and money flowing, parents on family channels often film and post their children in vulnerable situations, which may entertain viewers. One mom vlogger, Jordan Cheyenne, posted a video of herself and her son after discovering the family dog was sick. She accidentally uploaded the original video of her asking her son to pretend to cry to get the best thumbnail for the video, to which he responded: “Mom, I’m really crying.”
Another mom vlogger who has gone viral for documenting her children’s vulnerable moments is Ruby Franke. Her channel 8 Passengers amassed around 2.5 million subscribers at its peak. Frank regularly videotaped her six children, but her disciplinary practices sparked controversy when footage emerged of her admitting to denying food to her daughter and taking away her son’s bedroom as punishment. Many people became concerned that the Frankes were abusive, and their concerns were justified. Last August, Frank was arrested and charged with four felony counts of child abuse, to which she pleaded guilty.
While there is an ostensibly righteous side to the case, the children affected will be forced to move forward knowing that the videos, some in which Frank discussed the abuse, still exist. They also have to face the fact that their mother is profiting handsomely from the videos.
Unlike child actors who were also filmed at a young age, Family Channel children don’t have the same safety net as Coogan’s account. These accounts put 15% of a child’s income into a secure account until they turn 18, ensuring they still see some of the money if their parents don’t manage it properly.
While child actors are also often exploited and exploited, family channels are even less protective of children. They have no guarantee that they will receive a penny for the labor they provide. These kids are forced to trade their innocence for perspective, their childhood for performance. But they don’t play a role; Eventually, the cameras stopped rolling when the child actors left the set, but the cameras followed the Family Channel kids wherever they went.
With short-form content in high demand, it has become a current trend for parents to post their children on TikTok or Instagram. Although the platform is different, the damage is the same. Parents rely on their children to provide for them, and in doing so they also expose their children to public scrutiny. These parents seem unaware of the fact that when you post your children publicly, they can be seen by anyone with an internet connection, including those who wish them harm or display predatory behavior.
Children do not belong on the Internet, and parents’ sources of income should come from sources other than dependents without consent. I had a wonderful childhood; I’m happy that the only place I can read long form films is in my memory.
Fiona MacFarlane’s contact details are: [email protected].