Children today are far from being compliant audience of digital media; they are increasingly active participants in content creation. From dance, music, food and travel to DIY projects and fashion, child influencers have emerged as one of the most visible for brand promotions.
Account managers
The Indian Influencer Governing Council (IIGC) is a self-regulatory organization committed to fostering transparency, accountability, and ethical standards in influencer marketing. By uniting influencers, brands, agencies, and digital platforms across India, the Council establishes guidelines that promote authenticity, responsible content creation, and fair collaborations. Their mission is to ensure a thriving digital ecosystem where audiences are protected, creators are empowered, and businesses engage in ethical and innovative marketing practices.
Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) 2023 necessitates platforms to acquire verifiable parental consent for users under 18 to process their personal data. This implies those under 18 require parents’ permission to create accounts and use services. It also empowers parents to wield control over children’s access.
According to Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, children learn behaviours, attitudes, and skills through observation and imitation. Creating content may therefore promote creativity, communication skills, and self-efficacy when children receive constructive guidance and positive modelling from caregivers.
Repercussion
Dr Deepti Kanade Modak, Clinical Psychologist, Jupiter Hospital, Pune explains, “The participation of children in social media marketing is neither inherently beneficial nor inherently harmful. Its psychological impact depends largely on intent, structure, and the degree of adult mediation. When appropriately guided, these experiences can help children develop a sense of achievement and responsibility.”
Metrics such as likes, views, and follower counts can encourage children to equate self-worth with online approval, increasing vulnerability to anxiety, diminished self-esteem, and perfectionistic tendencies. “Excessive public scrutiny or pressure to maintain a curated online persona can interfere with healthy identity formation, leading to role confusion, emotional exhaustion, or a fragile sense of self that is contingent on audience approval,” opines Dr. Deepti. Furthermore, the reinforcement mechanisms embedded in social media platforms resemble principles outlined in Operant Conditioning theories of child development formulated by B. F. Skinner. Likes, comments, and shares function as intermittent rewards, which are especially powerful in shaping behaviour.
Valeska Soni, a 13-year-old, Mumbai-based teen, enjoys her free time reading 6-7 books per week. In an era where teens cannot live without social media, Valeska is breaking the norm. She not only reads for her own self and interest, but also gives tips and reviews on the Instagram page – Valeska’s BookWorld. The precocious adolescent believes, “While I do love being able to share my content and opinions with the world, there should be a limit to the amount of access people my age has to these platforms. Social media can be a great place, but it can also be unhealthy.”
Brand collaborations
Little content creators are becoming a very strong route for brands to connect with their Target Group. Sahil Chopra, Chairman, IIGC, says, “Kids are not simply consuming content, they are creating it, and brands have taken note of this shift and are tapping into it. It is now common to scroll by a reel made by an 8-year-old teaching cooking skills or showing how to dress smart for an occasion.”
The key considerations for brands to collaborate are engagement rates, content quality, forte (fashion, snacks, books), and primarily the influencer's skill to pass on the value of the merchandise realistically. They earn anywhere between 3 to 5 lakh rupees per year.
“Several children’s clothes, skincare, toys and other related brands team up with kidfluencers to increase their visibility and reach in a blithe, fervent and spunky manner,” says Delhi-based Kanika Malhotra, Marketing Executive of a childcare and toy brand.
Hemal Vajani, Mumbai-based clinical psychotherapist points out, “It's so refreshing to see that today digital content is not only being watched but also being created by kids who are so full of ideas and creativity. But like any other creative field, where there is no age limit but a process in which they get introduced, the same should apply here.”
The age limit
In India, the cutoff age for online content and services under the DPDP Act 2023 is under 18 years, requiring verifiable parental consent (VPC) for data processing (like signing up for social media) and prohibiting harmful targeting; India doesn't have a strict minimum age bar for social media.
Dr. Deepti concludes, “Children’s participation in social media can be emotionally healthy only when it is age-appropriate, limited in scope, intrinsically motivated, and monitored by a caregiver. Conversely, it becomes psychologically detrimental when driven by financial incentives, public recognition, excessive comparison, or external pressure.” The primary responsibility of parents and guardians is to protect a child’s emotional well-being and developmental integrity, ensuring that psychological safety takes precedence over popularity or commercial gain.
