What Every Parent Needs to Know About Child Influencers

What if the photos and videos you lovingly share of your children online are entering a world you never imagined… and can't fully see? Kate Mason sits down with Crystal Abidin; Malay-Australian professor of internet studies at Curtin University, anthropologist, and mother, to explore one of the most pressing and least understood challenges facing modern families. Crystal's new book, Child Influencers: How Children Become Entangled with Social Media Fame, pulls back the curtain on the world of child influencers, from the mummy-blogging origins of the 1990s to the AI-doctored dangers of today. Whether you've casually shared a birthday photo or are raising a child who dreams of going viral, this conversation offers vital insight, a global perspective, and the practical understanding every parent urgently needs. Listen for:4:50 Where did child influencers actually come from and how did it all begin?9:27 How do East Asian countries approach children and social media so differently to Australia?12:35 What is "sharenting" and how does everyday family sharing become a risk?15:47 What gaps in the law leave child influencers unprotected when filming at home?29:02 What is Crystal's most important advice for parents sharing their children online? Guest: Crystal Abidin, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University; Anthropologist and Ethnographer of Internet CulturesWebsite | Publication | Instagram | Child Influencers Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click Contact Kate:Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X