The 2010s and 2020s will undoubtedly be known as a tumultuous (to say the least) period of history for children. Somehow, we as a society have normalized treating children as some sort of material item to be exploited for our own gain.
Whether it be monetary, for likes and views, or to make ourselves appear in a certain way, it seems to have become an accepted part of life.
For one such example, in the late 2000s, a man named Shay Butler started off what would become a huge, money-making phenomenon known as family vlogging. He has his own legal troubles associated with his YouTube fame, but there is a more recent example of which we can take note. Ruby Franke from Utah was arrested in late August after her child escaped – yes, you read that correctly and alerted neighbors to their situation. Police found two children bound, malnourished, and locked in a safe at her colleague’s home.
Franke and her sisters all have had a hand in family vlogging, amassing a fortune off of the exploitation of their children even before birth. They have admitted at times that they bribe their children to be on camera, but more often than not, it seems that family bloggers, in general, assume their children will simply play the role day to day. They are filmed potty training, bra shopping, in doctors’ offices and hospital rooms, and sometimes their parents even resort to mockery – telling their children they can do something they want if they lick their mother’s armpit on camera.
So, using this family vlogging fame and fortune as an example, is it any wonder that so many don’t even seem to think children have their own autonomy? That they simply exist for their parents’ pleasure and personal gain? We see parents jumping on the newest bandwagon with their children all the time, whether it be for something superficial or something irreversible. One might wonder if they pause to consider if that’s really what their child wants/needs or if it’s just what will get them extra likes and followers on toxic social media.
My children’s generation will have many stories to tell, I fear.
If you are someone who sees the issues that children today face, please stand and advocate for them. They need someone in their corner who is willing to speak up.
If you would like help with getting started, please stop by the Statehouse in Concord on Saturday, November 4th at 11 a.m. to hear a handful of speakers discussing firsthand knowledge of grooming, abuse, indoctrination, and more. Children are the future! Let’s come together and do what we can to protect them.
Protect the children rally in concord