“Inflonss Children” .. stolen dreams and a lost innocence on communication platforms

Doctors and experts have warned of the width of the spread of the phenomenon of “Inflons’s children”, or “influential children”, who participate in producing content on social media platforms, and they become influential in the opinions and behaviors of their audiences, especially other children and adolescents, and doctors and experts emphasized that entering the child is a world of fame at an early age whose sense of himself, at a time when his feelings and mind are still in the process of growth Some parents confiscate the dreams of their children with intent or unintentionally, by dropping their personal aspirations on their children, pushing them to the spotlight, in pursuit of admiration or fame that they did not achieve themselves.

They told «Emirates Today» that the “Inflons” who appear in videos and pictures on communication platforms, to provide content such as games, challenges, entertainment, reviews and advertisements, are exposed to five risks that include “exposing them to early commercial exploitation, increasing the possibility of psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression, weak self -esteem, negative impact on social growth and difficulty in merging Realistic, normalizing the idea of ​​violating privacy from a young age, in addition to the risk of electronic bullying. ” They demanded the necessity of setting procedures that prevent the appearance of children under the age of 14 in general digital content, given that this age group does not have sufficient maturity to meet the consequences of public appearance, or deal with criticism and negative comments.

The Emirates Today monitored an accelerated spread of the phenomenon of “Inflonss Children” or “influential children” on social media platforms, where children appear not exceeding the ages of 12 or 14 years, and they document their diaries through visual videos (Falajat), and reveal the details of their private lives accurately, while others participate in commercial advertisements accompanied by their families, or imitate influential or famous in methods Their conversation and movements, to win the interaction of followers, provide awareness content and call their peers to use products that are not suitable for their ages.

The opinions of a number of parents differed about the phenomenon, among those who see it as an opportunity to develop the child’s personality and refine his talents, and who considers it a direct threat to his innocence, psychological balance and the loss of his dreams, and some chose to prevent their children from producing this type of content, because of the negative effects on building their real relationships.

Realistic stories

In detail, (Umm Toulin) said: “My daughter is 11 years old, loves the camera, and creates content that suits her age about the manual activities of the vacation, so I did not mind filming these activities, she is beneficial to her and children of her age,” adding that she personally supervises her daughter’s page in Instagram.

On the other hand, the opinion of the father of “Maysam”, who says: “My daughter wants to produce videos on her accounts in the communication sites, but I refuse to turn into a tool for daily view, as she is a child who must live her age, and communicate with her friends directly, to adopt strong and real relationships.”

As for (Umm Mazen), she confirms that her position is settled towards her three children, explaining: “I completely refuse to enter the world of digital content, and I do not want to measure their value in society with the number of followers or likes, and I want them to play and practice their daily activities freely, away from any restrictions or psychological pressure.”

The world of fame

A consultant psychiatrist, Dr. Riad Khudair, warned that the child’s entry into a world of fame at an early age may confuse his sense of himself, at a time when his feelings and mind are still in the process of growth, explaining that this may make him depend on the likes and external attention to estimate himself, as the child measures his value through the screen instead of real life experiences, and feels constant pressure to always be “ideal” or happy It is also, which makes it more vulnerable to psychological problems such as anxiety, tension and depression, and the child deprives the opportunity of natural growth.

He pointed out that the “public pressure” and negative comments through these platforms can affect the image of children’s self -confidence, as they find it difficult to separate criticism online from their true identity, and they may think that they are not good or not attractive enough, which may lead them to anxiety, shame or fear of expressing themselves freely, and in dangerous cases to withdrawal or depression.

He explained that there are warning signs that show the child’s impact negatively on his activity on the means of communication, the most prominent of which is his shift from enjoying social interactions to isolation or mood swings, or his excessive preoccupation and obsession with his appearance and the number of his followers, or his excessive sensitivity to comments, in addition to avoiding real activities or showing anxiety or sadness after using the Internet, pointing out that “children often live today (a life Double) smile in front of the camera, while they feel frustrated, ”stressing the need for parents to pay attention to any sleep change, or eating habits, mood or academic performance, as clear indications of the negative impact.

He stressed that some parents drop their personal aspirations for their children through these accounts, so they pushing them to the spotlight in search of likes, care, fame and success that they did not achieve themselves, indicating that some children may enjoy experience and others may feel pressure or fear of their parents ’disappointment, or they feel that they are forced to” perform “to have love, and that childhood must remain space And fun, not chasing fame to achieve the dreams of others, and that the child needs a special space for growth, making mistakes and disposing of his nature, away from the permanent control of the public.

Children’s growth

The consultant psychiatry, marital and family relations, Dr. Amal Abu Al -Ala, explained that the digital age made children part of an accelerated media and social scene, where videos and photos are spread on social media platforms, and fame is easily given with the click of a button.

She emphasized that the child in his early years does not have sufficient cognitive skills to distinguish the difference between the virtual world and real life, as he interacts with what he sees on the screen in the same way that he interacts with reality, warning that the excessive attachment to communication sites creates a separation from reality, and negatively affects the emotional and social growth of the child.

She added that fame may affect the child’s relationships with his classmates, as he may face two types of relationships: either superficially based on admiration or envy, or social isolation because of the difference in his lifestyle, explaining that the famous child may find it difficult to build real friendships, because he is more accustomed to applause and admiration than sincere interaction, and his peers may feel that he has a “different life”, which hinders natural integration.

She stressed that protecting children from the addiction of the lights starts from the awareness of the parents, stressing that the child does not need to appear in front of the public to be distinguished, and that it is necessary to enhance the concept of self -value, not related to the number of followers or the size of fame, calling for determining the times of the use of screens and directing the child towards realistic activities, such as sports and arts and building social relations, while consulting the psychiatrist when observing signs of anxiety or satisfactory attachment to fame.

She called for the necessity of not involving children under the age of 14 in any general digital content, especially the content associated with the disclosure of their personal identity, and that these posts may pursue them in the future and affect their subjective form or expose them to digital bullying, calling for the necessity of enacting a clear law or legislation that prevents children appearing before this age, as protecting the child from early exposure to the lights must be a common societal and legal responsibility, to reduce The psychological and social risks that may follow it in the future.

She emphasized that the use of technology is not rejected, but consciousness and responsibility in dealing with it are two basic things, saying: “It is our duty to give our children their right to childhood, away from the pressure of the lights, and we help them build their personalities on fixed foundations that benefit them in the future, not for temporary likes that will be removed from them once another famous reaches the point of light and leads (the trend), which may lead to severe results on their personal image With them. ”

Risk

The educational consultant and the expert of children’s behavior and adolescents, Laila Abu Tarabi, stressed that recent years have witnessed the emergence of the phenomenon of “Inflons’s children” strongly on the digital scene, in light of the widespread spread of social media platforms and the change of the nature of the consumer content of the public, considering that this phenomenon carries multiple psychological, social and educational dimensions, stressing the importance of not looking at it with a different, but understanding its influence in the child. The aspects, whether in terms of its growth, identity, relationships, or self -image.

She explained that the child who has a real desire to share content is expressed, feels comfortable to appear, and enjoys freedom of positive expression, the experience for him can be a distinctive opportunity at several levels, including enhancing his self -confidence, developing his personal skills, such as speaking fluently, adhering to dates, and creative thinking, in addition to opening early professional doors.

On the negative aspects of the phenomenon, she said that if the child was imposed on appearing without his desire, or commercially exploited, or the educational controls are absent, the experiment may turn into a real source of danger on his psychological and social development, noting that the most prominent of these risks is to distort psychological identity, psychological pressure and tension, depriving the child of his normal childhood, and entering into social isolation, as well as commercial exploitation After turning it into an additional source of income for the family.

A group of advice was provided to the parents, most notably the balance of the child between his natural daily life, such as playing with friends, studying and social communication with the family, and between providing the purposeful content that he desires on social media platforms, as she called for teaching children to protect their privacy, by introducing them to what can be published and how to respond to comments, while resorting to educational or psychological advice in the event of negative indicators, such as anxiety, disturbance or disturbance Depression.

Child protection

The lawyer and legal advisor, Amina Al -Ahmad, stressed that Federal Law No. (3) of 2016 regarding the rights of the child, known as a “law and a deem”, represents a comprehensive legislative framework that establishes the protection of the rights of children in the UAE, and ensures their formation in a safe environment that respects their dignity and achieves the best interest to them, whether in material or in the digital environment that has become part of their daily lives.

She explained that the Emirati legislator is the first to protect the child’s privacy, especially, so explicitly stipulated that the prohibition of exposure to his private life or the publication of information or images that may lead to abuse or exploitation, in a manner that does not contradict public morals, is not inconsistent, taking into account the rights and responsibilities of the guardian or legal guardian. She also stressed that the child, before reaching the legal age of adulthood, does not have the right to approve or directly rejecting his photos or statements, but rather this authority is practiced through the guardian who bears full responsibility in ensuring that any publication is done, he will serve the interest of the child and protect him from any harm or exploitation. She pointed out that the law stressed the priority of the best interest of the child, and protecting him from neglect, exploitation, or poor treatment I obliged teachers, doctors and others to report any cases suspected of harm or exploitation, while granting the competent authorities, such as child protection units and the police, the authority to immediately intervene and transfer the child to a safe environment, and issue urgent judicial orders to ensure his safety.

And I warned that the content that parents publish about their children may constitute a violation of the child’s privacy or an infringement of his right to childhood, if it contains what causes embarrassment, reveals his privacy, or exploits him commercially without taking into account his interest, stressing the need to involve the child in decisions related to his media appearance if he is a age that allows him to express his opinion, stressing that protecting the child is a social and legal responsibility Parents represent the first defense line, supported by clear legislation and urgent measures that put the child’s dignity and rights at the forefront of priorities.

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Mona Tahnoun: Early engagement in “Social Media” creates generations that look at their own value in numbers

Mona Tahnoun. From the source
“In recent years, the phenomenon of the appearance of children has emerged at small ages as influential on social media platforms, they offer a variety of content that attracts millions of views and followers, and although some see it as an opportunity to highlight talents and support creativity, this phenomenon raises increasing concern about its impact on children’s psychological and social health, and their future.”

She added: “Early engagement in the world of digital fame may expose children to psychological pressure that is not suitable for their ages, and affects their privacy, but may expose them to direct or indirect commercial exploitation, and also may change the nature of family relations, and affect the methods of education, which creates generations that look at their self -value through numbers and follow -up.”

And she continued: “We support the trend towards setting clear legislation or controls, such as determining a minimum age (for example 14 years), to allow children to appear in the general digital content for commercial or marketing purposes, while ensuring this is subject to specialized approvals and control, similar to the laws regulating the work of children in other sectors.”

She pointed out that she will work to study this phenomenon in an expanded way, and to discuss the possibility of progressing with a parliamentary question on this topic, in a way that ensures the enhancement of children’s protection in light of the development and progress in the use of technology, and the creation of a conscious generation that possesses safe digital skills, maintains its privacy and values, and enhances family cohesion, and balances his life in the virtual world and his realistic interaction with his surroundings, away from any exploitation or negative effects that may affect Its psychological and social development.