By Suad Ayinla
Edited by Bababunmi Agbebi
Social media has created a new way for parents to make money, with family life increasingly becoming part of the content economy. Children appear in skits, family vlogs, birthday videos, challenges and everyday moments that attract thousands of views and, in some cases, brand deals and other forms of income. While some parents may see it as harmless fun, the growing trend raises an important question: when does sharing a child’s life online become exploitation?
The concern has become even more serious following a recent case in Anambra State involving a woman accused of sexually abusing a minor in content circulated online. The incident has drawn attention to the dangers children can face when their private lives are exposed on the internet. Beyond the disturbing nature of the case itself, it raises wider concerns about how easily children can become vulnerable when adults prioritise content, attention or financial gain over their safety.
Not every parent who features a child online is exploiting them. Many simply want to document family memories or share moments with relatives and followers. However, problems can arise when a child becomes the main attraction and the family’s income begins to depend on constant content featuring that child. The pressure to produce more engaging videos can encourage parents to share increasingly private, emotional or embarrassing moments.
Children also cannot fully understand the long-term consequences of having their lives documented online. A video that seems funny at five years old may be embarrassing at 15 or 20. Their tantrums, illnesses, punishments, school experiences and other personal moments can remain online long after the child has grown up. In many cases, the child has little control over what is posted or who gets access to it.
There is also the question of money. When a child’s personality, talent or everyday life attracts the audience generating income, should the child have a financial interest in that income? Should parents be allowed to spend all the money generated from content featuring their children? These questions are becoming increasingly important as family content develops from casual posting into a profitable online business.
Parents have a responsibility to protect their children, both offline and online. Making money from family content is not necessarily wrong, but a child’s privacy, dignity and safety should never become the price of generating views. The internet may reward shocking or emotional content, but not everything that attracts attention should be shared.
As more parents turn family life into content, the conversation should move beyond how many views a video receives or how much money it generates. The more important question is whether the child is being protected in the process. After all, children are not content creators by default, and their childhood should not become a business simply because the internet is willing to pay for it.
