It’s Quiz time
“Kidfluencers” and the Parents Behind Them
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“Kidfluencers,” or children with large social media followings, can have a hard time navigating the pitfalls of social media due to their young age and innocence. That, paired with the “Wild West” nature of social media and the lack of laws protecting them from being taken advantage of, their protection falls to their parents. But what happens when the parents are unaware of the pitfalls? Or worse, what happens if the parents throw their children to the wolves of social media in order for them to go viral?
Take this week’s Quiz and find out how much you know!
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Results
#1. What age do most social media sites require their users to be in order to create and post on their platform?
Most social media platforms require their users to be 13 years old in order to create an account.
#2. How do social-media accounts portraying “Kidfluencers,” get past the age restriction?
Social media platforms restrict children from viewing and posting on their platforms until the child is 13 years old. If a parent claims to “run” the child’s social media account, the sites will allow child content to be posted and circulated. There is very little site management that keeps parents from posting information or images that could be used against the child as they age.
#3. According to research done by Barclays Bank, by 2030, how many cases of identity fraud are likely to be tied back to “sharenting,” (parents sharing information about their children online)?
Barclays bank showed that 7.4 million cases of identity fraud will be able to be tied back to parents oversharing about their children online by 2030. The bank says that this era of social media makes fraud easier than ever.
#4. What percentage of pedophilic images on pornographic sites originate from social media and blog posts?
Though the pictures were originally shared with likely innocent intentions on social media or a blog, the images were reposted on pornographic websites by those with nefarious intentions. When children are posted online, their images can’t be protected from those who would choose to sexualize them. Even the comment sections of photos or videos of children can turn into a horrific display of humanity’s depravity, as adults comment sexual things on the posts. In one scenario, 92% of one preteen girl’s followers were male, and her photos were being traded across the dark web. She was also receiving tons of unwanted comments from the adult men on her posts. Some parents feed into this kind of engagement and will offer additional photos or videos of the children that are locked behind a paywall.
#5. Which United States law do “Kidfluencers” fall under in order to prevent them from being left with no earnings from their work on social media platforms?
Coogan’s Law was made to protect child stars from having all of their money stolen by parents or guardians in 1939. It was amended in 2024 to include child content creators, and requires parents to put aside 15% of their gross earnings that cannot be touched until the child turns 18. The problem is that Coogan’s law is only a California state law, and not every state has a law similar to it, and there are no federal laws governing child influencers. This means in most states, parents can get away with having their children perform for content and the child may never see the earnings for their hard work. The states that do have Coogan-style laws pertaining to child influencers include Utah, Minnesota and Illinois, with several additional states discussing legislation for similar laws.
#6. Bonus Question From Last Time: Select all that apply: What efforts has the Japanese government made in an attempt to increase the fertility rate of Japan?
Select all that apply:
Japan has implemented some pretty intensive incentives to encourage their citizens to have more children. Some, like requiring companies to provide generous parental leave, has been implemented since the 1990s. Even with these incentives, the government has still reported their fertility rates falling.
NOW you’ve completed the quiz, test your knowledge on some of these former quizzes, or dive deeper into these subjects at the HomeFront Project. Then, help others learn more by sharing the quiz on social media.
DON’T FORGET – check back each Wednesday for the new quiz!
