Editor’s Note: The following story contains the discussion and depiction of child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
Family vlogging channels have morphed into something different, and it is not for the better. What was once a lighthearted day in the life of families became a nightmare.
There is a large difference between capturing memories and exploiting children for viewership and monetization. These family channels raise many valid privacy concerns. Who is watching these videos? How can the safety of the child be ensured? Is consent from a child even possible?
It is important to take into consideration that most of the children being videotaped and exploited on the internet are young and impressionable — growing up almost entirely on camera. Due to their early childhood, they have a digital footprint, affecting them as they grow into adulthood. One family-vlogging channel in particular is 8 Passengers. The Franke family children have a large history and saddening story — being exploited and neglected off camera by their own mother.
Ruby Franke, “mother” and family YouTuber, was found guilty for child neglect, alongside her business partner Jodie Hildebrandt, according to Washington County Attorney General’s press release in St. George, Utah. Franke’s son Russell, 12 at the time, had escaped Hildebrandt’s home and was found begging a neighbor for help. Franke neglected her youngest son, his living conditions were described as horrid and isolated as he was forced to complete strenuous tasks while being denied food and water. When the young child first initially tried to flee from his mother’s abuse, he was restrained, his legs tied together as punishment, according to the press release. Franke is charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse, and this was not the first sign of neglect from the Franke family. In fact, there are countless signs of abuse from the channel’s videos. One particular incident involves her eldest and youngest sons Chad and Russell as Franke expressed her eldest son was punished for pranking his younger brother. To punish her son, she took his bedroom away for seven months, forcing him to sleep on a bean bag in what she refers to as the “family room.” I understand the importance of teaching your children respect and how to take accountability, but Franke was extreme.
Additionally, Franke expressed during a vlog that her six-year-old daughter is responsible for packing her own lunch after explaining her daughter was hungry at school. This particular situation makes me question why Franke was not confronted. She chose to not feed and provide food for her hungry daughter, who was far too young to feed herself. I know that when I was this young I relied heavily on my parents. My mother and father made sure I was always fed, and knew that I was not capable of packing and remembering my lunch on my own. The factual evidence provided from the Franke case further proves the danger behind monetizing and giving people like Franke a platform. This should open people’s eyes as it tells the true horrors of what can happen when children are reduced to clickbait.
As social media evolves, I have noticed an influx of parents posting their children on the popular app TikTok. I feel as though these social media influencers are obsessed with making money, even if that means endangering their children. It is common knowledge that there are dangers to posting online. I question why parents aren’t doing more to hide their children’s identity and personal information. Simply, parents are concerned with their income over the safety of their children. It is important for viewers to recognize the signs of child abuse, neglect and exploitation.
If you believe a child is suffering from neglect, contact the Childhelp’s, a nonprofit organization, child abuse hotline at (800) 422-4453. We need to prevent another Franke case because protecting children is important.
