Kidfluencers in India: Commodification, Consumption, and Perpetuation of Dominant Culture
Despite online risks and child labor concerns, Indian kidfluencers appear to thrive as they amass followers and engage in brand collaborations, thus significantly contributing to India’s influencer industry. I studied and analyzed selected kidfluencers’ profiles and their most popular videos and fou...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Social Media + Society |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251356169 |
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| _version_ | 1849718932637745152 |
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| author | Devina Sarwatay |
| author_facet | Devina Sarwatay |
| author_sort | Devina Sarwatay |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite online risks and child labor concerns, Indian kidfluencers appear to thrive as they amass followers and engage in brand collaborations, thus significantly contributing to India’s influencer industry. I studied and analyzed selected kidfluencers’ profiles and their most popular videos and found that their parents manage their accounts and direct their content. This content often reflects dominant Indian culture using language, the portrayal of religious identities, and the enactment of family values. This strategy increases their follower counts but also exposes them to online risks and reinforces cultural stereotypes. Kidfluencers face exploitation as they scale their presence—that is, get more followers on a specific platform and get multiple accounts across platforms—on social media, especially in India where regulation is lacking. Abuse, bullying, and mental health issues are prevalent, necessitating urgent policy and advocacy efforts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0b2b7e4b12e24c718c041b9c8cbc7603 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2056-3051 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Media + Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-0b2b7e4b12e24c718c041b9c8cbc76032025-08-20T03:12:15ZengSAGE PublishingSocial Media + Society2056-30512025-07-011110.1177/20563051251356169Kidfluencers in India: Commodification, Consumption, and Perpetuation of Dominant CultureDevina Sarwatay0City St George’s, University of London, UKDespite online risks and child labor concerns, Indian kidfluencers appear to thrive as they amass followers and engage in brand collaborations, thus significantly contributing to India’s influencer industry. I studied and analyzed selected kidfluencers’ profiles and their most popular videos and found that their parents manage their accounts and direct their content. This content often reflects dominant Indian culture using language, the portrayal of religious identities, and the enactment of family values. This strategy increases their follower counts but also exposes them to online risks and reinforces cultural stereotypes. Kidfluencers face exploitation as they scale their presence—that is, get more followers on a specific platform and get multiple accounts across platforms—on social media, especially in India where regulation is lacking. Abuse, bullying, and mental health issues are prevalent, necessitating urgent policy and advocacy efforts.https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251356169 |
| spellingShingle | Devina Sarwatay Kidfluencers in India: Commodification, Consumption, and Perpetuation of Dominant Culture Social Media + Society |
| title | Kidfluencers in India: Commodification, Consumption, and Perpetuation of Dominant Culture |
| title_full | Kidfluencers in India: Commodification, Consumption, and Perpetuation of Dominant Culture |
| title_fullStr | Kidfluencers in India: Commodification, Consumption, and Perpetuation of Dominant Culture |
| title_full_unstemmed | Kidfluencers in India: Commodification, Consumption, and Perpetuation of Dominant Culture |
| title_short | Kidfluencers in India: Commodification, Consumption, and Perpetuation of Dominant Culture |
| title_sort | kidfluencers in india commodification consumption and perpetuation of dominant culture |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251356169 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT devinasarwatay kidfluencersinindiacommodificationconsumptionandperpetuationofdominantculture |