‘Friends’ being fake and using kids on social media

[ConnectionsChampion]

I’ve changed a few details in case anyone recognises this.

We have friends (more long term acquaintances) who are building a following on social media. It’s not my thing at all but I’m really starting to see them in a different light because of the way they are acting.

They have 4 children, all under 8 who they are using to get views. They film their children and tell their followers what I would describe as personal information about them, like issues they’re having at school and medical problems. Their followers make comments about the children as if they know them. Every day out that they take their children on is filmed for content and the children are even filmed eating breakfast, playing and sleeping. They’ve gone from having a very normal childhood to having a camera in their face a lot of the time.

Since their social media has started to gain traction, the husband of the couple has gone off sick from work with mental health issues and is hoping something really comes of their ‘fame’. It was originally more his wife that was doing it. They are spending their days making videos for social media and doing TikTok lives. He is clearly trying to set himself up as some sort of ambassador for mental health but it comes across as really fake. He isn’t the nicest man and in the past hasn’t been sympathetic to other people suffering with mental health issues. Its typical of him to take over what his wife started too as that’s the sort of person he is. Knowing them as we do, we can see this is all sort of staged and they’re looking for a way out of work in the traditional sense.

They have really changed and you can see that they are becoming completely addicted to the idea of work being social media and getting famous. The one who is off sick has said for ages that he hates going to work and doesn’t want to go back. They hint on social media for free things and sometimes get them. It’s their use of their children in their bid to be famous that I’m really struggling with but it all just makes me think ‘ick’. His work are aware of the situation and there are questions being asked.

They've tried to film content with us around which we have refused but I haven’t told them how I feel as I don’t think it would be taken well. We know other people in their life are also concerned.

AIBU to feel the way I do, especially about the use of their children? What would you do? We aren't really close friends but we have known them for a long time so it would be difficult to just not see them. We’d either have to give an explanation of why we are not seeing them or it would be a long slow fade out when I really don’t think I can stomach them much longer.

I don’t think I’ve explained it very well but I’m struggling to. Basically I am finding their dodging work, fakeness, lies, staged life and mostly using their kids quite sickening. Some people on their social media have seen through them but the majority are saying how great they are. It’s very obvious some of the followers have questionable reasons for viewing/saving the footage of the children by some of the comments made and some of their most popular videos being what they are. 🤢

I’m not sure if I’m making much sense but I’d be interested in your thoughts.

Yanbu
I know someone who has set themselves up as an “influencer”
A nastier person you could not meet. She uses one of her DC’s for views, they have multiple medical conditions and in no way can consent to every part of their life being filmed and shared with some videos getting hundreds of thousands of views and more worrying saved and shared.
I think in years to come there are going to be lots of adults totally traumatised as complete strangers have seen every part of their childhood filmed.
Its bloody awful

France have made laws against sharenting. I wish the UK government would.

I’m strangely impressed by anyone trying to make it as a social media influencer in 2026. The market is unbelievably saturated.

I’d leave them to it and just distance yourself.

I think i know exactly who you're talking about.

I find it interesting that people are going in for being “family content creators” in 2026, broadly speaking that bubble has burst.

People are becoming far more mindful about what they show not only of their children, but their lives in general.

Quite a lot of money can still be made on social media if its who I think it is he's live right now

If someone you say is negative about mental health is basically skiving work using mental health as an excuse, that's awful in itself, and if you feel they're endangering their children, you should report it.

The fact the kids in your example "don't know any different" is pretty depressing imo!

This!!!! I can’t believe it’s allowed still. I went to an M&S food hall not far from where I live and saw an influencer and her three children at the checkout… and I thought how ridiculous that I know their names and highly detailed information about their daily lives! I honestly believe that lots of these kids will be very unimpressed when they are older that their parents were peddling them on social media without their consent to make money.

TikTok is full of them. I wish people protected their children.

OP, I think the fading out option is best. As someone else said, if you have a fall out, you may become content of some kind.

We definitely don’t want to become content. They have difficult relationships with lots of people and it’s always everyone else’s fault, which I’m beginning to doubt now. They have talked about those relationships on their social media but it’s all in hints and riddles and adds to their engagement.

They do seem to enjoy the drama so I think we are best to just slowly fade them out and just be cool with them when we do see each other due to people we have in common.

Because they’re telling lies and then seem to be starting to believe their own lies. It’s all so contrived and they’re desperately trying to find an angle they can come from to make it big. It’s hard to explain more without it being potentially outing.

Maybe I do sound nasty but I can’t help how I see them now. It’s definitely not jealousy. I can’t think of anything worse than being known online and using my children for content with so many weirdos out there. The work dodging and contrived nature of the videos give me the ick, when it’s all fake in a desperate bid to not go back to work.

Agree with the poster who said this is quite old fashioned now

But either way it’s hard to understand how you can have such strong views but not the courage of your convictions to tell them you don’t want to be friends anymore

what specifically would be the impacts you’d feel awkward about?

I feel genuinely angry when I see people posting photos and details about their children. how can we have the whole "protect kids from the internet harms" issue whilst having people like this posting about their kids as basically a business model. once its out there on the internet you cant get it back and if we are going to ban under 16s or 18s having access to social media then similarly we need to ban them being used by their parents on social media.

you know what you need to do. just let the friendship wither away. its not a legal requirement to stay friends with someone. they have changed, you dont like it so move on.

But the friends and acquaintances you have in common have to make up their own minds. Unless what you’re actually saying is ‘If we cut contact with these awful people, all our friends will drop us and we’ll be pariahs, so better keep faking it’? In which case, seriously? I mean, either you find these people profoundly ethically problematic or not.

Hey, so I think it’s actually pretty obvious who this is about.. even with some details changed. I don’t know the couple personally, but having watched them online for quite some time, I can unfortunately see where you’re coming from.

I’m not a troll and I don’t want to say anything nasty about them, but I do think there are valid concerns around how much their young daughter in particular is being shared online. Posting videos of her sleeping or eating breakfast every single morning just doesn’t sit right with me.

It feels like from what you’ve said and from reading your responses here to other comments that their morals/values dont align with yours anymore but speaking out will maybe uproot the whole friendship circle. my advice is to stay true to yourself and be honest with them about how you feel. If people distance themselves, so be it. If you feel that strongly about something I think you owe it to yourself to speak up rather than stay silent just to avoid rocking the boat. It’s not easy when an entire friendship group is involved but you have to be able to stand by what you believe in. Best of luck.

I don’t think I’ve said enough for this to be definitely identifiable and they’re not that big yet so I’d be surprised if people have identified them, but maybe. It only confirms how wrong the whole thing is if people here think they know who I’m talking about though. The work dodging and desperation for fame makes me cringe and I feel so sorry for the children having to ‘perform’.

Stop watching it then. You sound a bit obsessed with these people.

Yes it is starting to sound like envy or obsession or both, the op has went far far beyond this is distasteful into something else is driving her entirely.

If you want advice on how to deal with it, my suggestion would be to say you aren't comfortable being in any social media/tic toc films etc. So you are happy to see them when they are just up for socialising, rather than when they are working and creating content.

Don't be critical or dismissive about it, give it credence, but it's just not your cup of tea.

I personally think they may encounter backlash from their children in years to come. I do know someone who did something similar and their son got so much teasing at school in his teens that he basically refused to have anything to do with his mum for number of years as he was fed up with having no privacy.

I can't be bothered with people who do that ....but....equally, I really can't be bothered with people who make a big song and dance about those who do.

Just don't look at their content, it's really is that simple.

Just still being friends with people you so clearly dislike

it is a bit fake of you 😁

I don’t watch them at all now, but due to our shared circle of people, you can’t really avoid people mentioning what they’re up to. Some of them try to encourage us to watch them and re post stuff and they send us videos. We just change the subject.

If our circle of people (which includes family) didn’t overlap, we would just not bother with them, but it does so it’s difficult.

We will just continue to make our excuses for meet ups and gradually withdraw as it’s just not for us. Hopefully there will be laws and protections put in place for children soon for these situations.

Thanks for all of your opinions.

I agree, i'm not in favour of the confrontational approach. OP, you need to distance yourself and just opt out of the media stuff, but no need to make a big deal about it, or set out your ethical objections (even if you have them). That's not being fake, it's just setting a boundary, you don't need to explain yourself.

There probably will be fall-out from their 'lifestyle', and i would feel terrible for those kids. I guess you could point this out, but i don't think you'll be saying anything they haven't already heard; it actually looks like they're deliberately courting controversy. They'll reap what they've sown soon enough, just make sure you're not in their orbit when it happens.

I think you absolutely have said enough to identify them, I knew straight away who you were talking about