Instagram doesn't allow children under 13 to have accounts, but parents are allowed to run accounts, and many do so for their daughters who want to become social media influencers .
What often begins as a parent's effort to launch a child's modeling career or win favor from a clothing brand can quickly descend into a dark underworld dominated by adult men. Many adult men openly admit to being sexually attracted to children on other platforms. This was revealed in a New York Times investigation.
Thousands of so-called mom-run accounts investigated by The Times offer alarming insight into how social media is reshaping childhoods, especially for girls, with the direct encouragement and involvement of parents. providing.
Almost 1 in 3 preteens cite having influence as a career goal, and 11% of those born in Gen Z between 1997 and 2012 consider themselves influencers. states. But health and technology experts recently warned that social media poses a “serious risk of harm” to girls. The researchers found that constant comparisons with her peers and face-changing filters caused negative feelings of self-worth and promoted body objectification.
The Times noted that the pursuit of online fame, particularly through Instagram, intensifies an often harmful phenomenon, encouraging parents to commodify their daughters' images. These are some important findings.
The driving force behind the account is the parent. Some offer mostly anonymous male followers photos, exclusive chat sessions, and even sales of leotards worn by the girls.
According to interviews, child influencers can earn six-figure incomes from monthly subscription fees and other interactions with their followers. Depending on the company, he may charge $3,000 for a single post. A large number of followers is impressive for brands and increases their chances of winning discounts, products, and other financial incentives, and the accounts themselves are rewarded with increased visibility on the platform by Instagram's algorithm.
As the number of followers on an account increases, the percentage of men also increases. Interactions with men open the door to abuse.
One calculation by an audience statistics research firm found that of the 5,000 accounts examined by The Times, 32 million had connections with male followers. Additionally, analysis using image classification software from Google and Microsoft shows that suggestive posts are more likely to receive likes and comments.
Some male followers have flattered, bullied, and threatened girls and their parents in order to obtain more racist images, and some have been convicted of sex crimes. There is. The Times monitored separate conversations on the messaging app Telegram, where men openly fantasized about sexually abusing the children they follow on Instagram, and the images were easily available. He praised the platform.
One of them wrote: “It looks like a candy store 😍😍😍.” “God bless you Instagram moms 🙌,” another wrote.
Account owners who report explicit images or potential predators to Instagram are usually met with silence or indifference.
According to a 2020 internal investigation cited in the proceedings, Instagram's parent company Meta found that 500,000 child Instagram accounts had daily “inappropriate” interactions. The platform's policies prohibit convicted sex offenders, and the company said it had removed two accounts after the Times pointed out.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement that parents are responsible for their accounts and their content and can delete them at any time. He added, “Anyone on Instagram can control who can tag, mention, and message them, and who can comment on their account,” adding that parents can control who can tag, mention, and message them, and who can comment on their account. He also mentioned the ability to block comments.
Some parents don't give in to the creepy “bullying,” but others regret opening an account.
An Australian mother of a now 17-year-old daughter says she fears her childhood spent sporting bikinis meant for grown men online has left a scar on her. She warned her mothers to avoid her mistakes. “I have foolishly and naively fed a horde of monsters, and I regret that very much,” she said. But the Alabama mother said her parents can't ignore this new economic reality. “Social media is the path to our future, and I feel like if people don't know what's going on, they're going to miss out,” she said.
Although rare, there have been cases where parents accused of child sexual abuse have been criminally prosecuted.
Even the most disturbing images of sexualized child influencers tend to fall into a legal gray area. To meet the federal definition of so-called child pornography, the law typically requires “indecent exposure” of the anal or genital area, but courts have held that the requirement can be met without nudity or transparent clothing. Certified.