Using Your Kids for Money

A mother posts a video of her toddler crying. The caption says she needs money for diapers. The comments pour in. The cash apps fill up. The toddler is still crying. The mother is already filming the next video.In this episode, I examine the disturbing trend of parents exploiting their children for financial gain. Family vloggers film every moment of their children's lives, from tantrums to potty training to medical emergencies. The children have no say. They cannot consent. They will grow up with millions of strangers who watched them learn to walk, learn to talk, and learn to be exploited. Some parents have been convicted of child abuse for content that their followers called adorable. A mother in Utah was sentenced to prison for forcing her children to perform in videos that generated thousands of dollars a month. The children testified against her. They said they were tired of performing. They said they just wanted to be kids.The episode explores the legal gap between child labor laws and influencer income. A child actor on a set has protections. A child in a living room with a ring light has none.Turn down the lights, put on your headphones, and press play because the kids who grow up on camera will spend their adult lives trying to forget they were ever famous.