What Happens When Childhood Becomes Content?

Lessons from the Netflix docu series every parent needs to hear.

May 22, 2025

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Hi there,

It always starts small. 

A prank video. A few likes. Harmless! 

Next thing you know, your kid’s spending weekends filming fake crush reveals, and you’re managing their calendar like a publicist.

Watching Bad Influence on Netflix brought up a lot of complicated feelings for me, as a parent, and as someone who has a child actor in the house. 

The docuseries follows Piper, a teen YouTuber whose channel turns into a full-blown business. 

Her mom starts managing her career, a squad of kids gets pulled into the content machine, and somewhere along the way, things stop being fun.

The article by Netflix explains why it's more important than ever for parents to understand kid-fluencing!  

This issue is me thinking out loud, trying to make sense of a parenting challenge that’s new, complex, and closer than we might want to admit. Let’s dive in.

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There Is No Clear Line

Unlike the world of acting, which has some legal protections in place for kids, the influencer world is the wild west.

In film and TV, a percentage of what a child earns is legally required to set aside in a protected trust. 

There are rules about hours, contracts, schooling and oversight.

But in the world of kid influencers? 

Absolutely ZERO rules. And the scariest part is, kids don’t always know they’re working. 

They’re just showing up for a video. Until suddenly, they’re expected to. 

The Moment I Couldn't Unsee

There’s a scene where Piper's whole demeanour shifts.

Her eyes, her energy, the way she speaks, you can tell it’s not joyful anymore. It’s pressure. She’s still posting, still performing, but the spark is gone.

That moment stuck with me.

Because it made me think about my own kids, and how easy it can be to miss that shift when you're in the middle of "just supporting them." 

The mental health consequences of parental pressure on children, explained. 

When Joy Disappears, That’s the Red Flag 

I don’t think it matters whether it’s YouTube or tennis or coding competitions. 

When your kid stops enjoying something, that’s your cue. If it becomes a chore, a burden, a source of stress, pause. Take a break. 

And more importantly, make sure your child doesn’t become defined by just one thing.

In the documentary, the kids who were part of Piper's squad were known for being influencers. That was their identity. 

But what happens when the camera turns off? When they outgrow it?

If you build your kid’s whole world around one identity, it can be hard for them to figure out who they are beyond that. 

They're Performing All the Time… 

Something else this series made me notice is how performative everyday life is becoming.

Even when there’s no camera, kids are still "on." Especially girls. Group selfies. Trends. Mini monologues that mimic their favourite creators. 

And it all ties back to validation. I’ve started asking my kids questions like: why did you want to post that? Was it fun to make? Or were you hoping it would get attention?

This article explains the emotional rollercoaster of online validation and what it does to kids' psyche!  

Small Ways to Raise Kids Who Don’t Chase Social Media Validation… 

If you're trying to raise a child who doesn’t crave validation from strangers on the internet, here are a few small things that have helped in our home:

  1. Celebrate the doing, not the response: Whether it’s a drawing, a dance, or a video, praise what went into it, not what came out of it.

  2. Talk about effort, not talent: “You worked hard on that” is more grounding than “You’re amazing.”

  3. Make space for offline wins: Ask what they’re proud of that no one else saw.

  4. Let them be bored: Not every moment has to be documented, posted, or performed.

  5. Remind them often: They are more than their output. Especially when algorithms start to feel like the world’s scoreboard.

That’s all for today’s issue, parents! 💗

Inside the Laid-back Parent’s Internet History this week: 

Note for My Fellow Laid-Back Parents 📧 

This issue isn’t about judging parents who are trying their best.

But really, it’s about staying present. Paying attention to the shift from joy to pressure.

Asking yourself and your kid the hard questions.

If they’re having fun, wonderful. But if they’re performing for likes, or if you’re running their schedule like a brand manager, it’s worth pausing. 

But again, the crux of it is communicating, keep talking to your kid, not the brand!

Until next time,
Lakshmi 💛