"It's that time of year again, a time of lists and countdowns, of soul-crushing AI brain-vomit ringed by adverts for miracle dental implants. In the spirit of the season the tech website Feedpost produced its own list on New Year's Eve of the Top 100 Kid Influencers on Instagram And YouTube in 2025, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's fine and definitely not strange or creepy [narrator's voice: it is strange and creepy]. Don't think about end times."
"But I am going to say it. The Top 100 Kid Influencers on Instagram and YouTube list is bullshit. Yes, Lil' Buck McTucker has a HUGE personality and BIGGER dreams, plus unlimited exposure in a hostile adult space. And yes, the world famous Doodlebug Twins offer an uplifting tableau of precocious teenage empowerment. Everybody knows that. That's not in doubt. But these are all still second-raters and also-rans."
A Top 100 ranking of kid influencers on Instagram and YouTube for 2025 is presented and critiqued. A 14-year-old cricketer, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of the Rajasthan Royals, has 2.3 million Instagram followers and surpasses many influencers on a per-capita basis. Cricket's youth stars are reframing the influencer landscape and encroaching on adult-controlled social spaces. The narrative mixes surreal, dark humor with clear unease about precocious fame. Concerns include exposure to commercial pressures, the hostile adult environment around child creators, and the need for independent financial advice and protections for young performers.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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