Many children use social media, but how many are real Internet stars? Very little.
Thanks to their famous parents, some kids find their way onto platforms like Instagram and TikTok, garnering millions of followers with cute photos and videos (bonus points if mom and dad make an appearance), enviable vacations, or even businesses. For example, Qai Qai, the favorite doll of Olympia, the four-year-old daughter of Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, has her own Instagram account.
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But these famous kids aren’t making their own social media footprints — some of them were internet famous from the day they were born, via viral baby announcements and their first photos. And because most of these kids are under 13 (the minimum age children are allowed to join the platforms), their accounts are strictly managed by their proud parents. That is, except for Alabama Barker, the 16-year-old daughter of former beauty queen Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker (he’s now engaged to Kourtney Kardashian) who has become an online icon. long ago, due to her singing skills and glam shots.
But should children use or be featured on social media? In October 2021, a study published in Computers in human behavior found that using platforms like Snapchat and Instagram before age 11 “was significantly associated with problematic digital behavior outcomes” such as online bullying, compared to slightly older children who join these platforms, although younger children are also more “supportive or civically-engaged.” And there’s so much debate about whether parents should post content online about their children before they’re of age to consent.
That said, celebrities often don’t have a choice about whether their children’s lives can be kept private, so a child-focused social media account could be a way to control the narrative in a high-profile existence. .
So check out these young social media stars and follow them!