Rapid rise to fame dangerous for children, expert warns

Beyazıt Şenbük - ISTANBUL

Rapid and temporary rise to fame poses a risk to children, warns a psychologist, stressing that it also sets a negative example for other children.

“No parent sends their children to work to earn money, but things change when the working platform is social media. In fact, a child’s making money from social media is not different from working at a job,” developmental psychologist Irmak Kerimoğlu said, criticizing children’s over-popularity on social media.

Children can’t handle being famous all of a sudden, Kerimoğlu said. A rapid rise to fame and easy money reduces children’s interest in other real areas of life and distracts them from education as “they somehow get acquainted very early with the very easy way of gaining appreciation,” she added.

The problem would grow if the family does not pay enough attention to their school life, Kerimoğlu warned. “They distance themselves from school and neighborhood friends as they enter the world of adults and working people.”

The fact that a child starts to give concerts and act in TV series after becoming famous on social media through a single video affects not only that child’s life but also of other children who are also social media users, she said.

“Kids who realize that it is possible to make money from social media and that it does not require a serious education or even a talent may have the expectation of making money and becoming rich in this way,” the expert added.

Social media reputation is a bubble when there is no real productivity or talent, Kerimoğlu said. “We are talking about a place where everything is consumed very quickly. When you suddenly offer the child attention, click, like, and money and then suddenly take it away, it becomes a much heavier burden.”

“Children cannot adapt to this situation and fall into the void. It would be challenging for them to re-accept their old lives,” she added.