This is the second in a two-part series exploring the negative side of social media in society. Part one is linked below and examines the normalization of hate on social media.
There are many forms of toxic and hateful behavior on social media. One of the forms that I despise so much is the exploitation of children; especially by their parents.
Exploitation is the action of treating someone unfairly and benefiting from that person’s treatment.
One prime example of parents exploiting their children is Nika Diwa.
Diwa, who is mostly based on TikTok, creates videos with her family; including her two young daughters.
At the beginning of the year, Diwa posted a video of her daughter lying on the ground, while being changed, and Diwa was talking about “privacy” and “private parts”.
How ironic that she is explaining to her child about privacy, yet provides no such thing to her.
Another example is one of the biggest and most recent scandals on this topic is Ruby Franke and her YouTube channel 8 Passengers.
Throughout the channel, there are many instances of questionable behavior from Franke.
In one video Franke refused to go to her daughter’s school to bring her lunch after she forgot it.
“Hopefully, nobody gives her food and nobody steps in and gives her lunch, because then she’s not going to learn from the natural outcome,” says Franke.
What started as a mother using her children to profit on YouTube led to a dangerous and abusive situation.
Franke went to trial for her abuse and has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Although exploiting children online didn’t start online, it started with child labor.
During the Industrial Revolution, in the 18th and 19th centuries, children had to start working in factories and hazardous environments.
Child exploitation has slowly evolved into what it is today.
There are YouTube channels, TikTok pages, and more full of people filming their children and profiting off of it.
Parents are the ones who should be protecting their kids, but instead, they are taking away their privacy and freedom and it is a truly heartbreaking and sickening idea.
An even sadder idea is that we can’t truly stop these parents from doing this to their children.
We are in a world where social media is so easy to use and everyone is so reachable which is part of the problem.
These parents know how easy it is for people to see the content they’re making; not just any people though.
It’s terrible how common predators are, but it’s a fact we can’t ignore.
These adults posting their young children are unfortunately making it simpler for these people to get what they want.
The amount of saves a simple video of a toddler playing has is a disgusting reality that not many people are willing to face.
Good parents should have no desire to put their children in that situation.
Another part of this topic that needs to be discussed is the mental health of a child after this happens to them.
Referring back to my example of Franke from before; the torment she put her children through will stick with them forever.
She put her children not just through physical abuse but also psychological abuse.
Some of the “punishments” she put her children through were shaving their heads, denying them beds, tying them up, not giving them food, etc.
Not only Franke’s children but all children being used like this could have serious complications in life after this as well.
Doing this to your children puts them at risk of identity theft, many mental illnesses, etc.
In no way should these things be normalized and ignored, yet they are.
The simple idea that these parents are using their children for profit is inappropriate and terrifying.
Parents use their children to make money and dehumanize them in the process. The more likes, shares, comments, and views they get; the more money they get, and they know it.
As decent human beings, everyone needs to put a stop to this kind of behavior; don’t interact with videos of people’s children, call people out on it, and do anything you can to help it be stopped.
