‘Kidfluencers’: Social media child labour hiding in plain sight?

“Kids love watching other kids on YouTube … and there’s nothing wrong with it,” says Clark. “But when you look closer at the length of the videos, the sheer volume of content and the money involved, serious questions arise.” 

Traditional images of child labour involve sweatshops, physical exhaustion and potentially dangerous conditions – not birthday parties, family holidays or staged ‘candid’ moments. Yet in the world of kidfluencing, work hides behind the illusion of play.  

On the surface, it looks harmless, even joyful. But are children truly choosing to participate, or is it forced fun? 

Even more troubling: If kidfluencing is a form of child labour, how do you regulate an industry that thrives in plain sight and fuels enormous profits for both families and social media giants. 

To tackle this ambiguity, the researchers turned to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the gold standard for protecting children’s welfare, to ground their research. Applying its principles, they reviewed over 11,000 minutes of content across four major American kidfluencer channels. 

Their findings include a stark conclusion: Kidfluencing is a form of child labour – and it urgently demands regulation and reform. 

Fundamental rights of children 

Through their study, Clark and Jno-Charles uncovered five major ways kidfluencing violates children’s fundamental rights: 

Right to Consent: Children, especially young ones, lack the capacity to give informed, ongoing consent to have their lives broadcast to the world. While many parents claim their children “wanted” to start a channel, the reality is harder to verify. “Consent isn’t a one-time event; it must be continuous, informed and freely given,” states Clark. 

Right to Privacy: Many channels thrive on capturing kids at their most embarrassing and vulnerable moments. But this relentless documentation exposes children to emotional harm, reputational damage and a loss of control over their personal stories. In the digital age, every moment posted can haunt them forever. 

Freedom from Economic Exploitation: Kidfluencers are both the stars and the brand. Yet they typically have no control over their schedules, income or workload. Filming and production can swallow hours, infringing on their rights to rest, play and learn. With top kidfluencers earning millions a year, the authors suggest that troubling questions can arise: Are the profits truly safeguarded for the child’s future? Or are parents blurring the line between caregiver and employer, risking exploitation under the guise of opportunity? 

Freedom from Harm: In the race for clicks, content often veers into dangerous territory. Physical risks, like stunts, extreme sports or risky challenges, are sometimes orchestrated for shock value. Beyond physical danger, the psychological toll is just as severe: exposure to cyberbullying, harassment and the crushing pressure of a public life can lead to anxiety, depression and self-harm. 

Freedom of Expression: While the camera rolls, the voice we hear often isn’t the child’s voice. Scripts, staged moments and advertising deals shape what they say and how they act. Authentic self-expression becomes secondary to the brand image. Is the child promoting what they love, or what sells? 

Ultimately, Clark believes social platforms themselves should take on the onus of stopping this trend in its tracks. But, given its profitability, social media platforms aren’t motivated to police kidfluencing, so he maintains it must become a public policy issue. 

You can find out more about the research here.