In China, a three-year-old girl was forced to eat in front of a camera until she became obese. Even though she told her parents to stop feeding her, they didn't. It is one of the many cases where a child is abused by parents who want him or her to be a social media star.
Child influencers have also become a huge phenomenon in Thailand too, with several famous ones reviewing toys, food and other kids' stuff on different social media platforms. In Thailand, according to a 2020 report by Hootsuite, a Canadian social networking service, there are 52 million social media accounts. With such a large number of users, becoming a social media influencer is turning into an attractive career.
Amid such a phenomenon, Dr Prani Paveenchana, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Manarom Hospital, who also runs a Facebook page titled "Mor Maew Nam Lao Ruang" (facebook.com/sealpsychiatrist) has expressed concerns about child influencers. She says child influencers are different from child actors because the latter works for a limited duration while some child influencers have their privacy invaded by their parents and their routine activities are recorded constantly.
Dr Prani Paveenchana, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Manarom Hospital. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)
"Some pages are similar to the 1998 Hollywood movie The Truman Show which follows a child's life since his or her birth. In other countries, I've noticed parents recording their child since the time he or she was in the mother's womb," said Dr Prani.
Some children become influencers before they can even talk which means they go through a different experience than other children. Does being an influencer affect a child's development? The psychiatrist explained that being an influencer affects a child only if it interrupts their development.
"Child development until the age of three can be interrupted if they don't meet and play with others their age. During the primary years, children must learn from an environment such as school and friends. When they become teenagers, they must discover themselves, however, some young influencers can't be themselves because they are trying to please others for more 'likes' and 'shares'. Meanwhile, some influencers become spoiled to the point where they don't have empathy for others. However, their instant fame can fade away quickly and this can impact their mental health," explained Dr Prani.
"Some children can tell stories about history or astronomy in front of a camera confidently but it is one-way communication. There is no interaction between other people. If child influencers spend most of their time with their parents and adults, they will lack social skills among their peers. Children must spend time with people within the same age group in order to learn social skills such as cooperating and sharing," she added.
Among numerous online pages featuring child influencers, Little Monster (facebook.com/littlemonsterrocknroll), which has more than 2.8 million followers is known for its positive and humorous content. Most followers are attracted to the page because of the charm and innocence of eight-year-old girl Nasikarn "Gin" Karunwongwat and her four-year-old sister Kanyawin "Rainnie" Karunwongwat. The father, Phusanut Karunwongwat, said he doesn't record his children 24 hours a day.
Little Monster Family: Phusanut Karunwongwat (father), Nirutchaya (mother) and their daughters, Gin (left) and Rainnie (right). (Photo: facebook.com/littlemonsterrocknroll)
"We record some moments that are funny or adorable. Most moments are real but we don't present the gloomy moments of our children's life. In the past, we had a sad video when Rainnie found out that her birthday wasn't on Saturday and it was my mistake, so I apologised to her. That video was still posted with the objective to show that parents can apologise to their children," said Phusanut.
To properly raise his daughters who have public recognition, Phusanut and his wife consult psychiatrists. He also considers his daughters' feelings before accepting any jobs or events.
"As parents, we are the ones who make the decision about work and our daughters are part of it. Our main location is at home because they are more comfortable there. We used to appear in many TV and online programmes but our daughters gave us feedback that they didn't like to go so we rejected many events and now choose only events that are to their liking. A psychiatrist advised that we should inform them that they may experience something they aren't used to. Thus, we explain to them the details of the event and if they agree to try, we will let them handle it," said Phusanut.
To watch influencers' daily lives is something that many viewers enjoy because they can feel connected to well-liked stars. However, getting personal can invade a child's privacy. Unlike celebrities in developed countries, many Thai celebrities post photos and videos of their children from the moment of birth in the delivery room. Dr Prani said the Child Protection Act 2003 includes section 27 which protects children regarding media usage.
Section 27 states that: "It is prohibited for anyone to advertise or distribute information of a child or child's guardian via media or information technology with the intent of causing damage to the mind, reputation, prestige or any other interests of a child, or pursuing benefit for oneself or others in an unlawful manner."
Little Monster on Youtube attracts viewers through the family's sense of humour. (Photos: facebook.com/littlemonsterrocknroll)
"Thais don't have much awareness about child privacy. Child influencers are naive and some children have videos of embarrassing moments such as them in the shower or other related incidents that are posted without their consent. Many videos are created because their parents want to earn income. It is important to not reveal influencers' addresses and personal schedules. Don't 'check-in' or 'share' locations. Children must learn to say no to strangers who want to touch them," Dr Prani advised.
On the Little Monster page, the public can view some of Gin and Rainnie's routine activities including having a meal or going to schools but Phusanut insists that he is aware of his daughters' privacy.
"I respect children's rights. There are absolutely no naked photos of my daughters and anything that may be embarrassing on our platforms. There are some videos which I ask them if it is fine to post. I don't reveal our address or our schedule plans. Our followers know that Rainnie doesn't like to take photos. If someone wants to take photos with my daughters, I will let that person ask them directly and my daughters have the right to make their own decisions," said Phusanut.
Criticism is something that influencers can't avoid. Some influencers are bullied and body shamed until they decide to change their appearance by undergoing cosmetic surgery.
"Many celebrities have body dysmorphic disorder which makes them always worry about their appearances and causes them to undergo frequent and repetitive cosmetic surgery. I suggest that they should avoid using social media and build up their self-esteem from their own abilities such as their skills in sports or music or academics instead of focusing on 'likes' and 'shares'," the psychiatrist suggested.
Little Monster has received both positive and negative feedback and Phusanut goes through all the comments. He accepts constructive comments but blocks or deletes negative comments from internet trolls.
"People can easily bully others on social media. I told my daughters to focus on their happiness and goodness rather than on material things and appearances. Many viewers who have depression sent messages to tell us that our videos healed them. Running the page helps me gain more information about child psychology because it made me have to do a lot of reading and consulting with psychiatrists. I have to know more because I want my daughters to be happy in this fast-paced society," he said.
Dr Prani said parents who want to push their kids to be social stars are the main problem for the child influencer phenomenon. Since most child influencers are still too young to have good judgement, the specialist hopes that their parents will think about the consequences that can affect their child's future.
"Consent from child influencers can be a dilemma because they are under the influence of parents who convince them that being an influencer is wonderful because they will earn money to buy whatever they want and fame. Some children also experience verbal abuse and physical abuse if they don't want to follow their parents' instructions. I hope parents will focus on the happiness of their child, not their own personal gains and respect their child's privacy," Dr Prani concluded.
