New kidfluencer law: How one student is using their mic for good to protect student influencers
On August 11th, 2023, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law to protect (student) social media influencers who are under 16. This law is the first of its kind and was championed by Shreya Nallamothu, a 15-year-old student who is concerned about protecting younger students who might be exploited online.
You’ve probably heard of social media influencers – people who have built a reputation on social media for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic – but what about “kidfluencers?” Kidfluencers are minors who have a social media following OR whose parents have a large social media following because of their child(ren). Social media influencers have been known to make a substantial amount of money, some receive thousands of dollars per post, depending on their following and brand deals. But what about the earnings of kidfluencers? How are they protected from exploitation and ensured to receive a percentage of the income generated from their videos? These exact questions are why Illinois has decided to take action and enact this new law to protect child social media stars.
Keep reading to learn more about this potential career your students may be interested in and how you can empower them to use their mic for good. Let’s dive in.
All about the new Illinois law about protecting student kidfluencers
Under this new law, starting July 1, 2024, children under 16 involved in social media influencing or appearing in their parents’ content will be entitled to a portion of the earnings, which will be placed in a trust until they turn 18. Before this law, U.S. kidfluencers had no legal protection for their finances. In 2021 alone, two of the top influencers on Youtube were minors– a 7-year-old from Russia who made about $28 million and 11-year-old American Ryan Kaji, who made roughly $27 million.
But what do U.S. adults, sometimes the ones filming the students, think about kidfluencers? Here are a few eye-opening stats from YouGov’s recent polls:
- 55% think child labor laws should apply to children who are social media influencers.
- ⅔ think that underage influencers are exploited by their parent/guardian at least “somewhat often.”
While polls like the one by YouGov show that the public is exhibiting a healthy amount of hesitation toward monetizing children’s online presences, the American legal system has made it hard to act on that concern, said Kimberly Rauscher, a professor of public and population health at Boise State University. Rauscher’s research focuses on professional working conditions in the U.S., especially those involving adolescents.
Child labor laws can be complicated or convoluted, and legislation protecting child actors in the greater entertainment industry has been poorly enforced for years. These laws are also enacted at the state level, meaning there is a lack of consistency that doesn’t help with enforcement. For example, states like California and Alaska require work permits for underage workers, while Texas and Alabama don’t.
Not far behind Illinois’s lead is Washington, which is also considering a similar law regarding protecting kidfluencers.
Shreya Nallamothu – The student behind the law
What better advocate for students than another student themself? During the pandemic, 15-year-old Shreya Nallamothu noticed that many kidfluencers were popping up on her social media feeds. She conducted an independent study in August 2022 with the goal of “putting mechanisms in place so that the child influencers can access money generated once they turn of age.”
She then drafted a legal memo based on her research and sent it to state Senator Dave Koehler. After meeting with him, she worked with Koehler and his staff to draft the bill. All of her hard work and motivation led to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signing off on the bill.
“I realized that there’s a lot of exploitation that can happen within the world of ‘kidfluencing,’’ said Nallamothu, referring to the monetization of social media content featuring children. “And I realized that there was absolutely zero legislation in place to protect them.” – Sheyra Nallamothu to AP News
All of this goes to show just how powerful student voice truly is.
TSI’s Take
At The Social Institute, we empower students to live up to Seven Social Standards and one of them is “Use Your Mic For Good or using social media as a platform to enact meaningful change. Whether they are kidfluencers and so have a large reach, or are more interested in policy to protect students, student voice is a powerful tool. Shreya is one student of many who has used their mic for good and taken action to work towards change in her community. How can you empower your students to follow her lead and use their mics for good? Here are a few tips you can share with your students:
- If your students are on social media, encourage them to share and repost content that they’re passionate about.
- Share stories like Shreya’s and show students just how much impact they can truly have when they use their voice for good!
- Encourage your students to speak up about things that matter to them– no matter how big or small. ,
If you’re looking for another role model like Shreya to show your students, check out our blog on two students who teamed up to push for social media regulation.
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.