Influencer Parents and the Kids Who Had Their Childhood Made Into Content

Image credit: JOSE LUIS PELAEZ INC

How would you feel about seeing photos of yourself on social media for all the world to see (especially if you didn’t put them there yourself)? This may not be a hypothetical question; many of us have likely had that very experience. For some, it might cause some blushing, a chuckle, and no big deal; life goes on, what’s for dinner? But in some cases—particularly those involving children, who typically don’t get to make their own decisions about it—there is a danger of it being a Very Big Deal and not a pleasant one. Journalist Fortesa Latifi details some cases of childhood being used as content in this March 2023 Teen Vogue report.

Read it here.

EXPLORE, REFLECT, SPEAK UP.

1. Latifi’s journalistic style is to let her interviewees present all the information and arguments; there is very little of Latifi’s own voice or opinions in the essay. Do you think her style is effective? Why or why not? Would her report have been stronger if she had included more of her own authoritative voice? Why or why not?

2. Latifi doesn’t include any interviews with or information about people who are happy to have had their childhoods recorded and documented online. There probably are such people. Do you think she should have presented a wider range of subjects? Why or why not?

3. LET’S TALK. In what ways did Latifi’s article resonate with you personally? Are there photos or videos of you as a baby, toddler, little kid, or bigger kid posted out there in cyberspace by a parent or older relative? By a friend or fellow party-goer? Have you ever felt that being “content” gets in the way of you just being you? On the other side of it, have you ever posted photos or videos of your kids or grandkids without getting their explicit consent? In any of those cases, how has Latifi’s report influenced your thinking or feeling? Get together with a few classmates and share your responses to these questions. Reflect on what your classmates are saying. How, if at all, have their words influenced you?

4. AND NOW WRITE. Although Latifi spotlights extreme and dramatic cases, the phenomenon that she is addressing is totally ordinary and quite widespread. It affects many people (probably millions), and its ramifications can last a very long time. Do you think there should be rules or guidelines for posting images and videos of babies and children? Why or why not? Is it adequate to simply leave out any individually identifiable information? Why or why not? Write an essay responding to these questions and arguing for your position. You can use Latifi’s report as a springboard; also, use your own experiences or those of people you know as evidence to support your position.