Monetizing Your Children's Talent on YouTube

[Altitude]

Suggesting this sincerely as a discussion because I'm not sure how I feel about it.

I see a lot of "kid player" videos on YouTube. Some of these kids have amazing talent and maturity beyond their years - a few of them seem good enough to hold down legit gigs with experienced pro groups!

But - I don't exactly get the sense that their parents are posting the videos to attract talent agents. Or even to send around so Grandma can see. It seems like people want to establish cash flow from exposure of this material.

Nothing wrong with that? Maybe not, but then you get to the idea that these kids must be practicing constantly, all day every day, to be as good as they are.

Are the parents posting videos because the kids are so good, or are the kids becoming good so that the parents can post videos?

Recently, one of the kid players who was already popular hit a tipping point and become even more popular, arranging media appearances and hob-nobbing with other famous players. I just noticed that this player's father has established a Patreon account where you can pledge monthly support. There's a $7 monthly option, a $10, and maybe a $15.

It might be none of my business where that money goes. But I looked on the website and I didn't find anything explaining that. Which means that the money might be accumulating in a college fund. It might be accumulating in Dad's retirement account. Who knows.

Again, none of my business. I can't help but wonder to what extent these kids have a say in how their parents are dealing in their time, who is really benefiting, and what effect that may have on the kids long term.

I've deliberately avoided naming any of the people I'm talking about in this post, because the post is less about them in particular than about the idea of monetizing your children's talent in general. I encourage anyone replying to do the same.

 

[Altitude]

It's interesting to see what topics do and don't draw interest here. This one clearly doesn't.

 

[bass12]

I don't like seeing it. Quite aside from the issue of using one's child to make money as well as the possible pressure on the child by (often) overzealous parents, I think it likely breeds narcissism in children. I'm not particularly big on the idea of kids participating in social media on any level.

 

[bassGtar]

I’m against child labor, or more specifically a society that makes it necessary. I’m not necessarily against children with mega talent using it to create a college savings account. There’s a lot of grey area between the two that can only be evaluated with facts. Lots of parents push their kids in all kinds of endeavors to hope they get ahead in life. Social media, Patreon, and so on, adds a new dimension to an age old issue, sometimes driven by necessity, sometimes by selfishness. Tough issue to generalize about.

 

[Killing Floor]

My son isn’t a performer but he does film rappers for money. He’s a freshman in college but he’s earned a few thousand clams this month which is better than a part time job. And those videos go on the YouTube. Does that count?
And the best part is I’m not having to help or fund it.

 

[Altitude]

My son isn’t a performer but he does film rappers for money. He’s a freshman in college but he’s earned a few thousand clams this month which is better than a part time job. And those videos go on the YouTube. Does that count?
And the best part is I’m not having to help or fund it.

That seems different. It's an endeavor of his choosing; he decides how much time and effort to put into it and he reaps the benefit. No different from any other entrepreneurial venture. Congratulations, by the way.

 

[Altitude]

I’m against child labor, or more specifically a society that makes it necessary. I’m not necessarily against children with mega talent using it to create a college savings account. There’s a lot of grey area between the two that can only be evaluated with facts. Lots of parents push their kids in all kinds of endeavors to hope they get ahead in life. Social media, Patreon, and so on, adds a new dimension to an age old issue, sometimes driven by necessity, sometimes by selfishness. Tough issue to generalize about.

Right. The question is whether the parents are pushing the kids so that the kids get ahead in life, or so that the parents get ahead in life. Some of these kids are young enough that it appears to me they are unable to have a voice in the matter.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

I think some parents doing this probably have it all right: they teach kids fact from fiction, that youtube likes don't equal being a good person, fame doesn't equal integrity, making money doesn't make you a good person, and what counts is how you treat people and learning to be a kind and respectful person all the way through life.

On the other hand, I bet there a plenty of sleazy, greedy parents trying to cash in because they think their kids owe them something for raising them.

I think people maybe avoid commenting on this topic to avoid any appearance of criticizing how someone else raises their kid.

If my kid was a prodigy and wanted to, I'd help them do it - but I wouldn't push it on them.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

My son isn’t a performer but he does film rappers for money. He’s a freshman in college but he’s earned a few thousand clams this month which is better than a part time job. And those videos go on the YouTube. Does that count?
And the best part is I’m not having to help or fund it.

That's totally different.
A young guy hustling to make cool art is way different than a parent producing and monetizing vids of their preteen.

 

[Altitude]

I think people maybe avoid commenting on this topic to avoid any appearance of criticizing how someone else raises their kid.

Agreed, that's why I think it's useful to the discussion that we aren't talking about specific kids.

To me the issue is in the agency the kids do or do not have, combined with how the resulting funds are used. In a certain form this is the same situation as families who devote tons of kids' time to sports, anticipating that the result is a college scholarship (though the bet those families are making, versus the time and cost required along the way, is its own conversation). Generally that's a family decision and the kids are all in, all the way.

There are also situations, some well documented in the lexicon, where parents see talent in their kids and demand that they use all of their time in pursuit of that talent, to the financial benefit of the parents only. The kids have little or no say in how they spend their time. And this sets aside additional internet-related complications when the kids happen to be girls.

As several have said, it's hard to know and to generalize.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Agreed, that's why I think it's useful to the discussion that we aren't talking about specific kids.

To me the issue is in the agency the kids do or do not have, combined with how the resulting funds are used. In a certain form this is the same situation as families who devote tons of kids' time to sports, anticipating that the result is a college scholarship (though the bet those families are making, versus the time and cost required along the way, is its own conversation). Generally that's a family decision and the kids are all in, all the way.

There are also situations, some well documented in the lexicon, where parents see talent in their kids and demand that they use all of their time in pursuit of that talent, to the financial benefit of the parents only. And this sets aside additional internet-related complications when the kids happen to be girls.

As several have said, it's hard to know and to generalize.

It is tricky to talk about.
I agree that agency is the question.
And that's so tough to unpack cause it's hard to tell when a kid's passion for a pursuit is truly their passion or they're doing it because they get the praise from their parents all kids thrive on.
And actually I kinda realized I have personal experience with this.
My mom is/was a professional actor and I was a kid actor. I did a bunch of TV and print between ages 5-12. Then I chose soccer over an audition one day and that ended that...but I came back to theater a couple years later. Anyway, that's beside the point.
When I finally figured out to ask my mom where the money went from those days, she told me it went to bikes for Christmas, family vacations, and partially funded a private school when we lived abroad for a year.
Fair enough, I figured.
I wasn't mad.

 

[bassGtar]

Agreed, that's why I think it's useful to the discussion that we aren't talking about specific kids.

To me the issue is in the agency the kids do or do not have, combined with how the resulting funds are used.

I think it is difficult to discuss in a non-specific case. Kids by definition don’t have agency so I prefer saying they have influence, that they aren’t being forced or coerced into the activity. And that alone can be hard to determine, given the natural influence parents have on their children.

How the money is spent can also be a challenging issue. Clearly, to me, the parent shouldn’t be taking money for purely selfish motives. But what if the money is needed to pay the rent, grocery bills or parent/sibling medical bills?

Overbearing, selfish parents are wrong/bad. But one really needs to know the specifics to form an opinion when the circumstances are in the grey zones.