What Are the Psychological Effects of Kids Becoming Influencers

julie

·January 27, 2025

·13 min read

The psychology of kidfluencer culture reveals how the digital spotlight can affect a child’s mental and emotional well-being. Many child influencers face challenges like anxiety, stress, and difficulty managing their emotions. The pressure to maintain a public image often leads to confusion between their authentic self and their online persona. This impact of influencing culture can also strip away normal childhood experiences, replacing them with adult-like responsibilities. Without proper guidance, children may develop online addiction or struggle with self-esteem as they rely on external validation. These issues raise the question: should kids be social media influencers?

Mental Health Impacts

Stress and Anxiety

Pressure to maintain a public image

As a child influencer, you face constant pressure to maintain a flawless public image. Every post, video, or story must meet audience expectations, leaving little room for mistakes. This demand can create overwhelming stress, especially when balancing school and personal life. The need to appear perfect online often leads to feelings of inadequacy when reality doesn’t match the curated image.

Fear of negative comments and online criticism

Online criticism can deeply affect your mental health. Many influencers, including children, experience cyberbullying. Negative comments can lead to anxiety and even depression.

Current TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio have shared their struggles with online criticism. In their Hulu show, Charli admitted, “Tea pages and negative comments and checking who’s talking about me every day has a big part of my anxiety.”

This constant scrutiny can make you feel vulnerable and emotionally drained, impacting your overall well-being.

Self-Esteem and Body Image

Dependence on likes, followers, and validation

Social media thrives on likes and followers, but relying on these for validation can harm your self-esteem. When your worth feels tied to numbers, it becomes harder to separate your value from online approval. This dependence can lead to feelings of emptiness when engagement drops.

Risk of disordered eating or body dysmorphia

The idealized lifestyles promoted by influencers can distort your perception of body image. Studies show that 31% of teenagers feel ashamed or depressed due to body image issues. Over half of teenage girls and a third of boys engage in unhealthy weight-control behaviors. This pressure can lead to serious mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.

Burnout and Emotional Regulation

Balancing school, work, and personal life

Managing the responsibilities of being an influencer while attending school can leave you feeling exhausted. The constant juggling of work, academics, and personal time often leads to burnout. You may find it difficult to enjoy normal childhood activities because of these demands.

Struggles with emotional regulation and chronic stress

Chronic stress from maintaining a public persona can make it hard to regulate your emotions. You might feel overwhelmed by the constant need to perform and meet expectations. Over time, this can lead to long-term mental health issues, affecting your ability to cope with challenges effectively.

Identity Formation Challenges

Authenticity vs. Public Persona

Difficulty separating personal identity from public persona

As a child influencer, you may find it hard to separate who you are from the persona you present online. The constant need to perform for an audience can blur the lines between your authentic self and your "celebrity self." This divide often creates confusion about your true identity. You might feel unsure whether your choices reflect your genuine interests or the expectations of your followers. Over time, this struggle can have a significant affect on identity formation, making it harder to understand your uniqueness.

Pressure to conform to audience expectations

Audience expectations can shape how you behave and present yourself online. These expectations often lead to unrealistic portrayals of your life, which may not align with your reality.

You might feel pressured to act in ways that please your audience, even if it doesn’t feel natural.
This pressure can complicate your social identity, making it harder to connect with your authentic self.
It may also create a sense of isolation, as you struggle to balance your public image with your private life.

The psychology behind this dynamic shows how external validation can influence your self-perception, leaving you feeling disconnected from your true self.

Self-Worth and Relevancy

Viewing self-worth through the lens of social media

Social media often ties your value to likes, comments, and followers. As a child influencer, you might start viewing your self-worth through these metrics. When engagement drops, it can lead to feelings of inadequacy or irrelevance. This reliance on external validation can make it difficult to build confidence in your abilities outside of social media.

Struggles to form a strong self-concept

Forming a strong self-concept becomes challenging when your life revolves around maintaining a public image.

You may feel torn between your "celebrity self" and your authentic self, which complicates your identity development.
The commercialization of your life can make you feel like a product rather than a person.
Unrealistic expectations from social media can lead to dissatisfaction with your own life, further hindering your growth.

Unlike non-influencers, you face unique challenges that make it harder to explore your individuality. These struggles highlight the importance of balancing your online presence with opportunities for personal growth.

Privacy and Exploitation

Loss of Privacy

Sharing personal moments with a global audience

As a child influencer, you often share personal moments with a global audience. This exposure can lead to significant safety concerns. Parents who engage in sharenting may not fully understand the risks involved. For example, 76% of parents share information about their children online to connect with family and friends. However, this practice can normalize sharing intimate details, making you more vulnerable to online predators and identity theft. Barclays Bank predicts that by 2030, sharenting could contribute to 7.4 million cases of identity fraud annually. These risks highlight the importance of protecting your privacy in the digital age.

Lack of control over what is shared online

You may have little control over what gets shared about your life. Parents or guardians often decide what content to post, which can lead to a lack of privacy. This loss of control can make you feel exposed and powerless. Many parents overlook privacy concerns, focusing instead on the benefits of social media. Unfortunately, this approach can compromise your safety and well-being. The psychology of growing up in the public eye shows how this lack of privacy can affect your emotional development, leaving you feeling disconnected from your personal boundaries.

Financial and Emotional Exploitation

Exploitation by parents or brands for profit

The commercializing of your life as a child influencer can lead to exploitation. Some parents require their children to participate in paid work, even when they are uninterested. Brands also play a role by treating you as a marketing tool rather than a person. This dynamic creates safety concerns, as it prioritizes profit over your well-being. Experts argue that stricter regulations are necessary to prevent parents and brands from profiting unfairly from your efforts.

Being treated as a commodity rather than a child

When your life becomes a product, you may feel like a commodity rather than a child. Parents often hold significant control over your career, increasing the risk of exploitation. Unlike child entertainers, informal influencers lack legal protections, leaving you vulnerable to abuse. This imbalance underscores the need for updated laws to safeguard your rights and ensure your childhood remains a priority.

Social and Behavioral Effects

Peer Relationships

Struggles to connect with peers who don’t understand their lifestyle

As a child influencer, you may find it difficult to connect with peers who don’t share your lifestyle. Your unique experiences, such as attending brand events or managing a public persona, can create a gap between you and your classmates. This disconnect often leads to feelings of isolation. Many children in your position form parasocial relationships, where followers perceive influencers as friends. While these relationships may feel supportive, they lack the depth of genuine friendships. The emotional energy you invest in these one-sided connections can leave you with unrealistic expectations for real-life relationships.

Parents play a crucial role in helping you navigate these challenges. By guiding your media consumption and encouraging healthy social interactions, they can help you build meaningful connections with peers.

Risk of bullying or jealousy from classmates

Your success as an influencer can sometimes make you a target for bullying or jealousy. Classmates may struggle to understand your lifestyle, leading to feelings of envy or resentment. This dynamic can result in teasing, exclusion, or even cyberbullying. These experiences can harm your self-esteem and make school life more challenging.

To address this, you can focus on open communication with trusted adults. Sharing your feelings can help you manage these situations and maintain your emotional well-being.

Social Development

Limited opportunities for normal childhood experiences

The demands of being an influencer often limit your ability to enjoy typical childhood activities. While other children may spend their free time playing or exploring hobbies, you might be busy creating content or attending events. This lack of balance can prevent you from experiencing the joys of a carefree childhood.

Missing out on these moments can affect your social development. Activities like playing with friends or participating in group sports teach valuable skills, such as teamwork and conflict resolution. Without these experiences, you may find it harder to navigate social situations as you grow older.

Overexposure to adult environments and responsibilities

As an influencer, you are often exposed to adult environments and responsibilities at a young age. Attending business meetings, negotiating contracts, or managing a public image can place you in situations that are not age-appropriate. This overexposure can accelerate your maturity but may also lead to stress and confusion.

Balancing these responsibilities with age-appropriate activities is essential. Parents and guardians can help by setting boundaries and ensuring you have time to relax and enjoy your childhood. The psychology of growing up in such a public role highlights the importance of maintaining a balance between work and personal life.

Parental Role and Legal Protections

Should Kids Be Social Media Influencers?

Ethical considerations for parents and society

Before allowing your child to become a social media influencer, you must evaluate several ethical considerations.

Discuss your child’s feelings about becoming an influencer. This helps you understand their motivations and readiness.
Assess whether your child can handle the pressures of content creation, including the potential for online bullying.
Prioritize their mental health and emotional growth. The stress of maintaining a public persona can significantly impact their well-being.

These steps ensure you make informed decisions that align with your child’s best interests.

Balancing opportunities with potential risks

Social media influencers can inspire others and promote positive behaviors like healthy eating or fitness. However, the risks often outweigh the benefits. Influencers may create unrealistic expectations or encourage unhealthy habits. Cyberbullying and online addiction are common issues that can lead to anxiety or depression. Balancing these opportunities with the risks requires careful planning and constant monitoring of your child’s activities.

Importance of Parental Guidance

Setting boundaries for work and personal life

As a parent, you play a critical role in setting boundaries for your child’s online presence.

Learn about the apps and platforms they use. This helps you establish rules for their activities.
Keep devices in visible areas to monitor their usage.
Use parental control tools to limit their time online and ensure they stay safe.

These measures help your child maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life.

Ensuring the child’s well-being is prioritized over profits

Your child’s well-being should always come before financial gains. Avoid treating them as a commodity. Instead, focus on their emotional and psychological needs. Engage in regular conversations about their experiences and provide support when challenges arise. This approach ensures they feel valued as individuals, not just as influencers.

Legal Safeguards

Existing laws protecting child labor in entertainment

Laws like the Coogan Act protect child actors by requiring work permits and safeguarding a portion of their earnings. However, these laws do not currently apply to child influencers. France has taken steps to regulate child influencers under 16. Their law mandates work authorization, financial protections, and the right to be forgotten. These measures address privacy and financial security concerns.

The need for updated regulations for social media influencers

Several states in the U.S. are working to protect child influencers. Illinois requires vloggers to set aside earnings for minors, effective July 2024. Minnesota prohibits children under 14 from content creation and allows them to request content removal. California is considering similar legislation. These updates aim to ensure financial compensation and safeguard the rights of child influencers.

The psychology of being a child influencer highlights serious risks to mental health, identity, and privacy. You must recognize these challenges to ensure children grow up in a safe and supportive environment. Parents and lawmakers have started working together to address these concerns. For example:

Evidence	Description
Illinois Law	Young influencer Shreya Nallamothu spearheaded a bill to protect child influencers, inspired by the Coogan Act.
Parental Rights	Stephen Balkam emphasizes the importance of parental rights in protecting children, while also acknowledging the rights of older children.
Legislative Momentum	High-profile cases like Ruby Franke's arrest are expected to influence lawmakers to take action.

Shreya Nallamothu, a 16-year-old, is advocating for laws to protect child influencers.
Young influencers are pushing for change at the legislative level, understanding the challenges of being an influencer.

A balanced approach is essential. You can help children thrive by prioritizing their mental health and emotional well-being while ensuring they enjoy a normal childhood.

FAQ

What are the risks of being a child influencer?

You face risks like mental health challenges, loss of privacy, and exploitation. The pressure to maintain a public image can lead to stress and anxiety. Sharing personal moments online may expose you to safety concerns, while financial exploitation by parents or brands can harm your well-being.

How can parents protect their child influencers?

Parents can protect you by setting clear boundaries, monitoring your online activities, and prioritizing your mental health. They should ensure you have time for normal childhood experiences and avoid treating you as a commodity. Open communication and emotional support are essential for your well-being.

Are there laws to protect child influencers?

Some laws exist, but they are limited. For example, Illinois and France have introduced regulations to safeguard your earnings and privacy. However, many countries lack comprehensive protections for child influencers, highlighting the need for updated legal frameworks.

How does being an influencer affect a child’s social life?

You may struggle to connect with peers who don’t understand your lifestyle. This can lead to feelings of isolation or jealousy from classmates. Balancing your influencer role with normal social interactions is crucial for healthy social development.

Can being a child influencer impact mental health?

Yes, it can. You might experience stress, anxiety, or burnout from managing a public persona. Dependence on likes and followers for validation can harm your self-esteem. Over time, these challenges may affect your emotional well-being.