Like, Follow, Subscribe: Investigating the Child Influencer Industry with Fortesa Latifi

What’s really happening behind the scenes of family vlogging, momfluencers, and kidfluencers? In this episode of Parents Uncharted, Sarah sits down with journalist and author Fortesa Latifi to unpack what she uncovered while researching her new book, “Like, Follow, Subscribe” From viral “day in the life” videos to deeply personal moments shared online, this conversation goes beyond the curated feeds- and into the real experiences of the children growing up on camera and the thought process of the parents behind the camera.  Drawing on interviews with influencers, researchers, and even the kids themselves, Fortesa reveals the ethical gray areas, financial incentives, and emotional realities shaping today’s billion-dollar influencer industry. Because behind every viral moment… there’s a real child living it. More About Fortesa Latifi: Fortesa Latifi is a journalist based in Los Angeles. She is the author of LIKE, FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE: Influencer Kids & The Cost of A Childhood Online; a searing investigation into the child influencer industry and the perils of childhood internet fame. Like, Follow, Subscribe is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the costs of internet fame, and the ethics of online content. She has also been published in Rolling Stone, The Cut, The New York TImes, and more. https://www.fortesalatifi.com/ ⁠Like, Follow, Subscribe by Fortesa Latifi This Episode is brought to you by presenting partner, Proton. Your kids deserve privacy before the internet decides otherwise. Give them a clean digital start by reserving a Proton Mail email for them by going to ⁠proton.me/momuncharted ⁠and share this with a friend who needs to hear it. Every child is Born Private, and it should stay that way. Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted (00:00) Exploring Family Vlogging and Kidfluencers (02:01) The Journey of Writing a Book on Influencers (04:15) Conversations with Influencers: Reactions and Insights (06:03) The Family Fun Pack: A Case Study in Vlogging (08:35) The Controversy of Wren Eleanor and Online Privacy (09:49) The Permanence of Online Content and Its Implications (11:48) Regulations and the Future of Child Influencers (14:22) Surprising Revelations from Influencer Interviews (16:44) The Ethics of Content Creation: Kids in Distress (19:18) The Impact of Vlogging on Children's Identity (22:23) Mormon Mom Influencers: A Cultural Phenomenon (29:49) The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (32:36) Ballerina Farm: The Influencer Phenomenon (36:12) The Reddit Snark Culture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices