Children as professional influencers and internet celebrities

As the digital society intensifies and shifts, the definition of what it means to be a child also shifts. Children today are growing up in a visual digital era and are actively engaged with social media.

The number of minors who call themselves ‘professional’ influencers or ‘internet celebrities’ and launch products or services for companies is increasing.

This novel form of peer interaction raises new questions about children and labour and about leisure and responsibility the modern digital culture.

There are surprisingly few existing studies in which children are allowed to speak for themselves about being an influencer or celebrity or how they create and negotiate the meanings of social media content.

This project aims to explore Swedish children’s own assessments on the phenomenon of internet celebrities from the perspectives of child influencers. Theoretically, the study combines childhood studies, child consumption and visual digital culture.

Based on empirical material consisting of web material, interviews with influencers aged 9–13 and their parents, the project provides valuable insights into what it means to grow up in the visual digital era from the viewpoint of the child.

Additionally, the study contributes insights into the potentially changing roles of children and adults when children are influencers.