Remember the days when kids wanted to become police officers, firefighters, or astronauts? Well, kids are now growing up and dreaming of becoming social media influencers. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Tiktok, and YouTube are becoming increasingly popular among children. Social media influencers and YouTubers are starting to become two of the many careers about which kids are now dreaming.

In an Internet Retailing article (internetretailing.net) entitled, “What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? A Social Media Influencer, of Course,” one study polled over 2,000 parents with kids ages 11-16. The results were quite surprising, as 14% of parents said that their kids wanted to be YouTubers and 17% wanted to be social media influencers. The desire of becoming an influencer is growing more prevalent in recent years.

Ryan Toys Review is one of the various popular channels featured on YouTube. The chain is run by an eight-year-old boy, Ryan, and his two parents. His estimated net worth is $80 million and is only growing. Ryan and his family have multiple channels on YouTube. His videos are mostly comprised of him playing and reviewing toys. Ryan is only one of the many kids on YouTube who have made a name for themselves.

YouTube is giving young kids opportunities they never could have had. Kids finally have an outlet where they can express themselves and even make money for it. YouTube pays people by the number of ads they get. Each viewer is shown an ad before almost every video, so the more views a YouTuber gets,  the more money he or she will make. YouTube and other social media platforms are ensuring that some kids have money that can potentially be used to fund their college educations. Brands pay around $250 per post to influencers with 50,000 followers or less. After this, brands add about $100,000 for every 100,000 followers. YouTube pays roughly $2,000 for every video to channels with 100,000 followers. Sophomore Faith Koobial said, “When you’re 14 or over, it’s okay to be an influencer because it’s a way to make money.” YouTube and other platforms are giving kids a way to get a head start in saving for college and paying off student loans.

Being an influencer comes with its perks. Kids can control their own schedules and work when they want. As well as flexibility, kids get a sense of responsibility. If they do not post, then they lose followers. Kids will start to understand that posting regularly will boost their status, a lesson that can be modified and applied to other aspects of life. 

Kids will also begin to understand the importance of savings. When kids are given weekly paychecks, they start to comprehend what it is like to be an adult. Kids will learn the relationship between want and need and will learn to manage their money in an organized manner.

Sophomore Jolie Orbetta stated that “although minors as social media influencers can provide an interesting perspective of young people in the media, it is something corruptive since it can expose kids to the dark side of the Internet like sexualization, cancel culture, etc.” This issue can simply be solved with parental involvement. Parents as well as kids need to be informed of the dangers of the Internet as well as the benefits. Being a social media influencer/Youtuber comes with responsibility as well as opportunities. When the Internet is used responsibly, it can open up many opportunities for kids and teens.

Being an influencer can also help people make new and powerful connections. Having good relationships can open up many opportunities. Social media platforms give people a way to make a name for themselves and establish connections. Freshman Noelle Demasi stated that minors being social media influencers/YouTubers is good “because it opens up more career choices. It lets kids make extra money, and it sets an example that young kids can accomplish something they believe in and want to pursue.”