Is It Safe To Turn Your Children Into YouTube Stars?

In this article written by Amelia Tait, she goes on to explain how Youtube families such as Americas: Shaytards and Irelands: Jonathan and Anna Saccone-Joly have gained a lot of money and success from simply filming their families life everyday for years. These youtube stars with millions of followers like the fact that they can make an above average source of income from simply spending time with their families. Amelia also goes on to point out that it might not be safe for these families to film their children and expose them to millions of viewers, in one case the irish parents received mail saying that someones wants to "gauge" their daughters eyes our and that the videos of them bathing have been uploaded to Peadophilic sites online. The family have responded with: “I have never felt threatened,” says Jonathan, though he says he discussed these incidents with the police and his gated house is now surrounded by CCTV cameras." Although not all dangers are as threatening or severe, Amelia discusses how these parents are recording their kids without much of their consent (because they're babies) and that this may be fine when they are 2 - 3 years old but when they grow up to 13 - 14 this may be distressing for them as millions of viewers have seen and have been through the journey of their entire childhood. For example, The Shaytards’ video entitled DAD! CUT THAT PART OUT! from April 2014, nine-year-old Avia begs her father to remove part of the video where she talked about flirting with a classmate. “But this is good footage!” her father replies, before she gives in with an exasperated “FINE!”. “I promise you, listen, in 10 years from now, you will look back on this video and you’ll be like ‘that was so cute … I’m so glad I have that memory’,” he continues. Hopefully, he’s right. But will she be equally happy that 3,108,012 strangers now share that memory with her?

Amelia Tait