• The rise of kidfluencing 

A child’s funny remark, dance or reaction can attract thousands of views on social media. For parents, sharing these moments may seem harmless. But when a child’s daily life becomes a source of online entertainment, questions arise about privacy, safety and the right to grow up without an audience.

The growing practice of featuring children in social media content, often called “kidfluencing”, has drawn attention in Sri Lanka. Some parents use their children’s images and videos to build an online following, promote products or earn money. Others share family moments without considering how widely the content may spread or how it could be used in the future.

The issue has become serious enough for the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs to consider measures to protect children from exploitation online. However, the debate is not about preventing parents from sharing happy family moments. It is about recognising that children have rights of their own, including the right to privacy, safety and protection from exploitation.

As social media becomes part of everyday life, Sri Lanka faces an important question: who protects children when their own lives become content?

The business of childhood

Kidfluencing refers to the use of children in online content to attract an audience, promote products or generate income. Children may appear in family vlogs, sponsored posts, product reviews, comedy videos or other content designed to gain views and engagement.

“I’ve seen a lot of kids appear in their parents' public social media profiles with most of them documenting their children’s milestones, personalities and achievements,” Dinushka Perera,48, said. “Many of them are innocent content made by loving parents and as a mother myself, I get why parents feel the need to show off their children, even if they don’t think about the negative consequences.” 

Some children enjoy making videos and may see social media as a creative activity. However, the situation becomes more complicated when adults control the content, decide when children appear and benefit financially from their participation.

The pressure to produce popular content can encourage parents to share increasingly personal moments. A child’s tantrum, embarrassment or private family experience may attract attention, but that does not mean the child has agreed to have it shared publicly.

“I have seen parents share their children online and I often worry if the children would be affected by their parents image,” Mifla H, 30, said. “I see this one famous Sri Lankan woman who I will not name sharing pictures of her son. I often worry that the son may be subjected to bullying and harassment by people because of certain decisions his mother has made.” 

Mifla stated that her son’s images are only shared on her private social media and are not available to the public. 

Children may not understand how permanent an online post can be. A video shared today could remain accessible years later, when the child is older and no longer wants that part of their life to be public.

The risks behind the screen

The risks extend beyond unwanted attention. Photographs and videos can reveal personal details, including a child’s school, location and daily routine. Such information can be misused by strangers or circulated beyond its original audience.

“I’ve seen influencers share their children’s pictures and videos and I think it’s beautiful,” Nim Perera,29, said. “However, I have also seen the comments section and it isn’t pretty. I follow this one influencer who was on a popular reality show. She shares great content with her kids but people on her instagram make judgments about how she loves some of her  kids more than the others. And I think that’s harmful.” 

Perera said that many on the internet may not have the best of intentions and caution is necessary. 

“I share photos of my son, however I have a private account and only let the people I trust in,” Nim said. 

Artificial intelligence has added another concern. Images uploaded online can be manipulated to create obscene or inappropriate material involving children. Even content shared with good intentions can be copied, altered or used in ways that parents never expected.

There is also the question of consent. Young children may not understand what it means to have their lives documented for thousands of strangers. Older children may feel pressured to participate because their parents expect them to perform.

When a child’s popularity becomes a source of income, the pressure can become harder to escape. A child may be expected to appear in videos even when they are tired, upset or simply do not want to participate.

A response from the Government

The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has raised concerns about the growing use of children’s images and videos for online popularity and commercial gain.

The Ministry has warned parents and guardians to exercise caution when sharing children’s content online. It has also highlighted the risks of exposing children to inappropriate material or activities in the pursuit of views and engagement.

Working with the National Child Protection Authority, the Ministry is preparing guidelines aimed at promoting a child-friendly media culture. The proposed guidelines are expected to address the responsible use of children’s images and the risks associated with online content.

The Government is also considering whether existing laws need to be strengthened or new regulations introduced to prevent children from being exploited for financial gain.

The response reflects a growing concern that children’s participation in online content cannot be treated solely as a family decision. When children’s images are used commercially, questions arise about their rights, their safety and who benefits from their work.

Protecting children without silencing them

The challenge is to protect children without treating every family photograph or child-created video as exploitation.

Clear rules could help distinguish between harmless sharing and content that places children at risk. They could also address questions about children’s participation in commercial content, their working conditions and the protection of money earned through their online activities.

“I don’t think children’s content should be shared if they cannot consent to it,” Mira Tiwari, 48, said. “Children should be mature enough to consent to their image being shared and understand the consequences of publicity.” 

Parents and guardians have an important role in ensuring that children are not pressured into performing for an audience. Social media platforms must also take responsibility for protecting young users and responding to harmful content.

Children should be able to enjoy creative activities online without having their privacy compromised. Their images should not become a source of income at the expense of their wellbeing.