Children as concealed commodities

Ethnographic nuances and legal implications of kidfluencers’ monetisation on TikTok

Bibliographic Data

ID7515201
AuthorsTom Divon (0000-0002-7034-615X, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, corresponding author), Taylor Annabell (0000-0002-6384-6754, Utrecht University School of Law, The Netherlands), Catalina Goanta (0000-0002-1044-9800, Utrecht University School of Law, The Netherlands)
Year2026
Volume28
Issue3
Pages1190-1218
Publication date2026-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNew Media & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-4448 • E-ISSN: 1461-7315
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14614448241304657
OpenAlexW4406628369
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited44

Our article delves into the emergence of ‘kidfluencers’ within the content creator economy, highlighting how children’s participation intertwines their identities with monetisation strategies on platforms. Focusing on TikTok, we blend ethnographic and legal analysis of 215 videos from 23 kidfluencers in Israel, New Zealand and the Unites States, illuminating the complexities of monetising childhood across cultures. We highlight four monetisation and visibility practices in which children are exposed, mobilised and commodified in their parents’ content: (1) kids as props; brands as playmates, (2) transactional childhood, (3) aspirational child-ification and (4) regulative parenthood. Our analysis shows how children become concealed commodities, with varying degrees of (in)visibility in monetisation practices, from playful participation in branded content to embodying idealised notions of childhood for brand visibility. We situate our analysis within regulatory frameworks, revealing how TikTok’s policies conceal children’s role in monetised content, and reflect on platform liability under the European Union’s Digital Services Act

Ethnography · Sociology · Anthropology · Copyright and Intellectual Property · FinTech, Crowdfunding, Digital Finance · Psychology · Sharing Economy and Platforms · Social Psychology

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