Social media influencers need more protection

 

POSTED ON May 17, 2022

 

Social media has created a whole new type of celebrity, the social media influencer. Influencers of all ages have taken social media platforms by storm collecting brand deals, creating podcasts, streaming gameplay and so much more.

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee said in a report that the rapid growth of social media influencers, especially children, has outgrown current regulations that protect them from exploitation.

“If you dig below the shiny surface of what you see on screen you will discover an altogether murkier world, where both the influencers and their followers are at risk of exploitation and harm online,” DCMS Committee Chairman Julian Knight said.

Young people are earning income from sponsorships and brand partnerships but at what cost? The report shows that young social media influencers are often managed by their parents, making the risk of exploitation greater. Children as influencers are not the only ones at risk, children as viewers are as well. The report shows that children developing media literacy are at significant risk of exploitation.

Influencer content is an increasingly popular media form children consume, especially on YouTube. According to Ofcom, in 2021 up to half of children said they watched vloggers or YouTube influencers. People under the age of 18 are targeted by embedded advertising, making them vulnerable to misinformation and harmful content.

The DCMS Committee recommends that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) should strengthen disclosure standards for adverts online targeting children.

Becoming a social media influencer is increasingly becoming a popular career choice among young people. Out of the 511 British children surveyed, more than 32% said they would consider becoming an influencer.

“The explosion in influencer activity has left the authorities playing catch-up and exposed the impotence of advertising rules and employment protections designed for a time before social media was the all-encompassing behemoth it has become today,” Knight said.