Netflix’s ‘Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing’ premiered on April 9. This three-part documentary dives into famous teen influencer Piper Rockelle and her squad members’ past experiences with manipulation and abuse from Piper’s mother and manager, Tiffany.
The docu series centers Piper Rockelle, currently a 17-year-old social media influencer who started her journey at age 8. She quickly gained immense popularity and gained millions of followers. She then began to make videos with her “influencer friends,” which became to be known as her “squad” later on. “I remember watching Piper and her videos as a kid”, said senior Jordan Ingram. “She gained immense popularity when I was in middle school and I recall her being one of the first kid influencers to start popular tik tok trends”.
The three-part investigative documentary is a disturbing but necessary reality for many people who only see the fun and luxurious part of these influencers’ lives. Scrolling through YouTube, many children get inspired to achieve the aesthetic lifestyle filled with unlimited free PR packages, toys and fame. However, the hidden reality is completely different, as young influencers are stripped of their innocence and autonomy.
The series has gained popularity as it challenges the illusions of many young viewers. Kids have long looked up to such influencers who seemingly have carefree lifestyles in fancy houses. Contrary to what is shown online, the kid influencers were pushed to work long hours, perform until their bodies physically gave up and were abused to gain mass viewership.
Piper’s mom and manager, Tiffany, was accused of exploitation. In January 2022, the squad members filed a lawsuit against Tiffany, alleging abuse, torture and exploitation.
Through manipulation and questionable tactics, Tiffany exploited young teens and kids, gaining millions of followers in the process. The kids were not allowed to rest, forced to redo all the scenes and often felt uncomfortable. There were many examples of inappropriate behavior throughout all the episodes, all pushed by Tiffany.
The most important message behind the documentary is one pushing audience to be more critical of who teens and kids admire as influencers. Looking up to them as role models can be unrealistic and dangerous, and the documentary makes a strong point for educating kids about the reality of such videos not really being as glamorous as showcased. “I feel it is very important to protect kids on the internet”, said senior Kayla Eaves. “In our society today, the internet can be a very dangerous place, especially for young ones who tend to believe everything. Kids and teens want to be popular and cool, and hence get influenced by so called ‘squads’.”
The entire three-part docuseries shines light on the dark side of such “squads.” As viewers, there should be a demand for reality and transparency beyond the thumbnails and surface level content. The upcoming generation of teens should be protected against abuse and should not be forced to sacrifice their childhood for fame and viewership.
