When Childhood Becomes Content: The Ethics of Sharing Kids Online with Fortesa Latifi, M.A.

What is the cost of families and specifically children growing up online?

In this conversation, I speak with journalist and author Fortesa Latifi, M.A. to talk about the rise of momfluencers and kidfluencers, and why this topic resonates so deeply with post-traumatic parents.

What used to be limited to a small group of highly visible families (i.e. reality TV households) has now expanded into thousands of children growing up online, their lives documented and shared in real time.We explore what it means to be raised in the digital spotlight, how social media has shifted the boundaries between public and private childhood, and why this issue is more complex than it first appears.

While many of us instinctively react with concern, this conversation invites a more nuanced perspective. In our conversation we discuss not just the risks, but also the realities and pressures families face in today’s online world.

Topics covered in this episode:

• The rapid rise of momfluencers and kidfluencers
• How growing up online differs from past generations of “famous families”
• The shift from structured media (TV) to constant, personal content creation
• Why this topic resonates so strongly with cycle-breaking and post-traumatic parents
• The tension between exploitation vs. opportunity
• Why nuance matters when discussing parents who share their children online
• The role of audience curiosity and internet culture in fueling this trend
• What it might feel like for children to grow up with their lives publicly documented

About the Guest:

Fortesa Latifi, M.A. is a journalist who has extensively covered internet culture, including the world of momfluencers and kidfluencers. She is the author of Like, Follow, Subscribe, a book that explores what it means for families, and especially children, to grow up online in an era of constant visibility. To learn more and connect with Fortesa, you can visit her website here!

Connect with me:

Want to learn more? Connect with me! You can find me on Instagram @dr.koslowitzpsychology and check out my new book Post-Traumatic Parenting: Break the Cycle and Become the Parent You Always Wanted to Be