So your teenager wants to be an influencer, now what?
Help your teen safely steer through the world of likes, shares and subscribes
Every generation of parents grapples with their children’s choices. For our parents, this meant accepting that their child might pursue an ‘unconventional’ career in the arts or (gasp) video game design. Today, it’s our turn to feel confounded as a growing number of kids dream of becoming influencers—whether as YouTubers, Instagram stars, podcasters or other social media-based professions. While these are all legitimate career paths, parental fears and concerns around their viability, safety and stability persist. Is this a ‘real’ career or just a temporary bubble? How will a prominent online presence affect my child’s sense of self?
This influencer boom isn’t just a phase—it’s a rapidly growing industry. In 2022, the global influencer marketing market size was valued at over $16 billion. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok (accessible internationally) are teeming with young content creators who can earn considerable money, creating aspirational job titles like fashion vlogger, beauty influencer and gaming streamer alongside the more conventional roles of doctors or engineers.
According to Dr Priya Mehra, a Delhi-based psychologist specialising in child and adolescent behaviour, these creators represent a kind of success, freedom, and often, a glamorous lifestyle that seems just within reach. “The rise of influencers as role models isn’t inherently bad. Content creation can foster creativity, self-expression, and even technical skills like video editing and public speaking,” she says. “The issue here is that many influencers only show the glossy parts of their lives—the brand deals, the trips and the endless stream of likes.”
Should I subscribe to my child’s online dream?
In a recent Instagram survey, we asked 136 Tweak readers if their teenagers had expressed an interest in becoming a content creator or influencer. While 61% of respondents reported that their teens wanted to pursue this path, only some were ready to support their kids’ online ambitions, and others had understandable concerns about the associated risks—both online and offline. So the question arises, if your teenager wants to enter the content creation space and share their dream of going viral, how should you respond?
Mehra believes the role of parents is to help their kids understand the risks and realities of an image-focused existence. “The danger lies in teens linking their self-worth to the validation they receive online,” she explains. “They are still developing a sense of identity, and the constant pressure to perform, look good, and get likes can be damaging.” The glamorous influencer lifestyle also conceals the behind-the-scenes grind—long hours, constant pressure to maintain an online persona and stay relevant, creative burnout and managing negative comments. If your child doesn’t recognise the hard work, sheer luck, initial financial investment and emotional toll involved, they might assume success is easy, leading to frustration and self-doubt when results don’t materialise quickly.
Exploring creativity with boundaries
Delhi-based Aarti* had no idea her teenager wanted to be an influencer until he asked to start a YouTube page one day. For most of his childhood, her son, now 14, had been drawn to aeroplanes, and she expected him to eventually follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and become a pilot. Surprisingly, he expressed interest in starting a YouTube channel focused on gaming, inspired by two of his friends.
As someone who doesn’t spend a lot of time online, Aarti took some time to comprehend this thriving gaming subculture that was largely unknown to her. “My son showed me so many pages of people who stream themselves gaming. But I never understood the point. Why would someone want to watch others play video games? Who would pay you to watch this?”
Despite her trepidation, she devised a strategy with her husband to help her son explore this new avenue safely. “He’s allowed to film his videos, but my husband and I handle the editing and posting. We look at the comments together and discuss what he wants to do next. That way, he can enjoy the creative process without being exposed to the nastier side of the internet.”
Encouraging her son’s creativity while maintaining a tight grip on how he engages with the online world has been working well for Aarti’s family, at least for now. “It’s been almost a year, and though my son has fought for more control and access to his channel, we haven’t given in,” she says. Her son does not know the password to his account, and she doesn’t plan on sharing it until he’s 16 (if his interest still holds). This middle ground allows her son a safe creative outlet without the dangers of trolls and negative comments, but Aarti does admit that she hopes this is a temporary fascination. “I just don’t think it’s financially sustainable. A lot of the successes have to do with luck and I don’t want him to have that kind of pressure to keep performing for others online.”
Setting SMART goals
Sunita Manchandani*, based in Mumbai, realised her daughter might want an online career after her school held an assembly to educate parents about digital safety, prompted by the rising interest in content creation among students. When her daughter finally revealed her desire to become a beauty influencer, despite being worried about the impact of social media on a teenage girl’s mind, Manchandani knew she couldn’t keep a 16-year-old offline. Instead, she decided to employ a technique shared with parents during the school meeting.
“We set SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. We told our daughter you have one year to work on the content you want and see if you can achieve the kind of following you have in mind,” she shares. “We would help her however we could, and monitor her activity and posts daily. If she didn’t make significant progress, we agreed she’d stop and move on to something else.” This might seem like a rigid or harsh approach to some, but Manchandani didn’t want the possibility of an online career to take over her daughter’s life during these crucial years of choosing and pursuing a college education. Her daughter fought it at first, but eventually agreed to compromise. This approach has helped her understand that although creativity and community are important, there’s also a practical side to consider. Setting goals ensures that you don’t chase an endless pursuit if things don’t work out.
However, Manchandani’s biggest worry continues to be about her daughter’s safety. “What you post online can stay forever in some dark corner of the internet; who knows what [people] are doing with these pictures and videos.” Mehra agrees that the internet isn’t always a friendly place for young women, who often face harassment, bullying or unsolicited attention online. The impact on their mental health can be severe. “Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to body shaming, misogynistic comments, and cyberbullying. This can drastically affect their self-esteem, leading to anxiety, depression, and a distorted sense of self and reality.”
To offset some of these hazards, Manchandani constantly talks to her daughter about the difference between what’s presented online and reality. For example, when her teen chased the ‘glass skin’ beauty trend she saw on social media, Manchandani had to remind her that natural skin has textures, marks and bumps—something her daughter still struggles to accept while constantly comparing her appearance to the women she sees online.
Saying no for mental health
When her 15-year-old daughter asked her if she could start a beauty channel, Neena Sehgal decided to say no in order to protect her teenager’s mental health. “I’ve seen the kind of comments people get online—the trolling, the unsolicited opinions. We didn’t want her confidence to be tied to likes or views.”
It wasn’t just about keeping her daughter off the internet—Sehgal wanted to ensure her child develops a healthy sense of self. While she might not be able to control or monitor everything her daughter does online, she tries to engage with her in open conversations on the subject. “We didn’t outright ban social media because that would only make her want it more. Instead, we talk to her about the reality of what happens online and why we’re cautious.”
Supporting your teen in a digital world
Being a digital gatekeeper is an essential part of parenting today. Influencers didn’t exist earlier, but they do now, and Mehra believes they shape how teens view careers and success. “Talk to your kids about the highs and lows of social media. Teach them about digital footprints, and remind them that who they are offline matters more than likes,” she says.
Instead of dismissing their dreams, help them create without the pressure of going viral or turning into another Andrew Tate-head (is your son catching misogyny off the internet?). If they are interested in making videos, support passion projects that aren’t centred around gaining followers. You can also make sure they have hobbies off-screen—sports, art, anything that grounds their sense of self.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to raising a teenager with dreams of becoming an influencer. Some parents seek balance and compromise, others set realistic goals, and some simply say no. The influencer boom looks like it’s here to stay, and guiding your teens through this new world safely means understanding the landscape, setting boundaries, and keeping the conversation open.
*Names changed upon contributor’s request for anonymity.
