Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing

[BertieBottsEveryFlavourBeans]

Anyone else watched this on Netflix? I'm half way through the second episode with my jaw on the floor.

For people who haven't watched, it's centred around a "kidfluencer" called Piper Rochelle and her mum, Tiffany. Basically exposing how this mother has exploited her daughter, sexualised her and her "squad" for social media likes, views, followers and money. I feel so sorry for the poor daughter who has spent her entire life being exploited by someone who should be protecting her, going as far as to send grown men her daughter's used underwear.

You also hear from the parents of other children in the squad speaking out about what they experienced, although I'm struggling to sympathise with them when to me it seems they clearly knew what was happening to their children and they voluntarily put them forward for it.

It's a really interesting but uncomfortable watch, makes me even more determined that DD will not be allowed social media for as long as we can keep her away from it.

Oh my god, that’s awful. The poor little girl. What is that woman thinking having another baby at a time like that? How can she give either of those children the attention they need?

Dreadful.

Imagine taking your pre-teen to a filming job. Every day. Accepting that you not allowed in and have to wait outside

evey day for hours and hours

when do these kids go to school

They are all guilty as fuck

And the woman who actually lived there but was afraid to leave in case her kid lost followers

unbelievable

That's it, Sophie's mum was the one with multiple issues it seemed. I felt she was incredibly vulnerable and the perfect victim for coercion.

Also, she had firmed a connection with Piper which made her even more vulnerable.

I know it's annoying watching her as she's irritating in demeanor. She does however fit the perfect victim profile. I want to see better regulation and legal perimeters to address this crap. How on earth is this allowed to continue.

I watched the programme again and find the Sawyer boy situation repulsive tbh. Two parents there had the combined brain cells to not involve him in this but seemed very driven by his fame.

It was awful and sad for those kids. They thought they were having fun - and I’m sure they did - but the underlying current was quite sinister.

I thought Sophie’s mum seemed like she was under the influence of something, but maybe she was just very vulnerable.

All those parents hold culpability.

I assume Piper will already be “rehearsing” for an Only Fans account once she turns 18.

I think social media should have to demonetise any account that features minors. Then a large part of the drive to exploit a child is removed, and if you honestly want to share content you can but it's not going to be for views and likes and a paycheck.

It was all horrific for those kids, and sickening to watch the parents seem totally uninterested in providing them with a normal healthy childhood. I think the saddest part is the children either having to leave and question genuine relationships, or only have fake and 'for the views' ones. That must mess up your interpersonal and emotional development so much. Poor babies.

@JellyBeanSpring25 i thought that about Sophie’s mum too….maybe it was her speech? She just seemed a bit off didn’t she!

This could be entirely off but she made me think she was on a long list of prescription medications for various issues.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought all of the parents were culpable. They were trying to tell their side and put the blame on Tiffany (who I’m sure is vile) but they all seemed just as money grabbing and exploitative. No-one sane would want their 11 or 12 year olds doing ‘crush’ videos online. That content was clearly inappropriate even without the 12 hour days of filming, emotional blackmail, coercion, bullying etc. how on earth did Tiffany get away with withdrawing the kid from school to make YouTube videos all day? One of the more pertinent comments was that on a proper tv set there would be a tutor, rules and regulations etc. I think all of those parents saw the $$$$ and exploited the kids.

The bit that stood out for me was when the other “squad members” subscribers started dropping the parents referred to it as “our YouTube channel”. They were no better than the main mother, more interested in their YouTube accounts than their own kids

Ugg I’ve just got to episode 3. Why are they all so bothered about losing followers. I do not understand how they seem to be more bothered by the views than getting the kids off you tube.

That's what I found unbelievable with the parents, instead of thanking their stars that their children were out of that situation and removing all their online access so they can actually just be children, they were just concerned about the YouTube stats going down?!

It absolutely blows my mind, I wish we could ban social media for under 16s like Australia have done, although I don't know how successful that has been for Australia so far. I definitely think YouTube shouldn't allow minors to post video content, after it's become so apparent the kind of people who are primarily watching these videos.

Just watched it. So Piper has gone from Pageantry, to Youtube, to Insta. Now looks like Only Fans which will probably be followed by porn. A lifetime of exploitation, I fear it will not end well for her. I bet Tiffany will go on controlling the money when she is well past 18.

Miranda Hart the comedian?

Dancing for the Devil was about Mirranda Derrick/Wilking a TikTok dancer caught up in a cult.

It really is the wild west out there. So, so depressing.

I can see a time when kids being paraded like this end up suing their parents for allowing all this crap.

As most of the money is earned through promoting 'brands' what part do advertisers play in all this. Although if 92% of the audience for these type of kidfluencers is middle aged men maybe Mattel et al have got their target audience figures wrong.

I do wonder about that figure being apparently middle aged men? Are half of those kids watching on their parent accounts?

Like I have no doubts that there would be men watching but I wonder if the ratio is a little off.

I watched this, those poor kids. I also agree the parents are culpable. Definitely seemed like Sophie’s mum was on something, maybe prescription drugs. She came across as extremely vulnerable to me.
I don’t see it ending well for Piper. She has a shelf life and it’s not for much longer. After that, as pp said, it’s OnlyFans or porn. There’s not much else that’s going to bring in the money they’re used to.

I don’t know if it’s the same account but there’s a terribly middle class UK influencer who I was appalled to see has not only features their teenager’s medical condition in detail (posting from hospital wards when diagnosed, lots of personal info and photos) but also posted selfies with paramedics in the background when their toddler was taken ill at home and taken into hospital (complete with raised eyebrow faces from the paramedics themselves). I simply can’t imagine how many freebies make this sort of intrusion worth it, particularly when they seem to have an income and background that would provide quite a lot of luxuries.

Plus she's had zero education so will find it hard to make a living in a normal job. I wonder if the mum even took time out of filming them to bother to teach her to read and write and do basic maths?

Just thinking this wouldn't be able to happen in all the countries where people are legally required to send kids to school to get an education.