When I watched the
video “Generation Like” earlier this month, I felt glad that social media can
provide a platform for young people to present their talents and have a chance
to change their lives. Through Facebook, Instagram, twitter or tumblr, not only
can they easily lead a trend or culture but also help advertisers market
products more efficiently. Moreover, the sponsorship they receive can also
support their living.
Breanna Youn, a five-year-old girl of Korean and Filipino
descent, seems exactly like a
beneficiary of social media. She has over 1.2 million followers on Instagram. She is so adorable that many wealthy people keep buying her fashion
clothes and handbags just because they love her. Also, thanks to the wealthy
sponsors, the whole Youn family is now living in Dubai rent-free.
I have to admit that I enjoyed looking through hundreds of pictures from her on Instagram.
But when I saw her holding LV totes
and posing like an adult, I wondered is it really good for such a young child
to be widely known and highly exposed to the luxury culture?
“If Breanna is sick
and we do not post a picture or video for three or four days, we are bombarded
with thousands of e-mails from every country asking what happened”, said her
mum. Her parents are somehow worried about how things will be when she grows
up. However, it’s actually her parents who post photos of her frequently
on Instagram; It’s her parents
who receive the luxury gifts from other adults and then make her try them on
and pose in front of the camera.
I think Breanna
Youn is too young to tell things apart,
and so are the majority of
kids. The sexualized poses are not
suitable for just a five-year-old kid. The fame has transferred her
life. She cannot enjoy a pure
childhood as other kids. And
also as the materialism and consumerism are rooted in her
heart in such a young age, I am worried
about how she shapes the value towards the world.
Parents and the
whole society should take the
responsibility to protect children from the overexposure of social
media.
It does remind me of the girl at featured at the end of Generation Like--and especially of that moment when her mom admits that the most popular posts are those that featured sexy pictures of her very young daughter. And then she just shrugs. That kills me, that shrug. What it means is 'well, that's the way the culture is, there's no fighting it--even to protect my own child.'
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe that her entire family is living in Dubai RENT FREE! Sponsoring has definitely taken social media to a whole other level.
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