“Influential children” or “content creators” is a growing phenomenon around the world. In Tunisia, however, it has sparked heated debate, with opinions divided between those who see it as an opportunity to showcase talent and shape children's personalities, and those who warn of the dangers it poses and consider it a new form of child exploitation.

Victims of bullying
In recent days, dozens of videos have been circulating showing schoolgirls documenting their daily school-day routines—from applying makeup and styling their hair to selecting their outfits.

These videos sparked widespread controversy on social media platforms after their creators were subjected to a major bullying campaign, reopening discussions about the phenomenon of children on social media platforms as online content creators.




Psychological and social risks
In Tunisia, as in many other countries, children frequently appear in the spotlight in exchange for lucrative advertising contracts. In some cases, the child itself is a content creator; in others, families deliberately film them to generate profitable content.

Like adults, children are also drawn to the possibility of fame on social media and enjoy racking up views. This may be acceptable to families who are unaware of the dangers their children face in the digital space, believing that their presence there is merely for entertainment. According to Judge Omar Al-Wislati, these parents then “neglect to monitor them or encourage them to continue sharing what they post.”

Scientific research, however, warns that early exposure to fame can have long-term consequences on children’s mental health, including weakened self-confidence in offline settings, and vulnerability to bullying and ridicule.
Dr. Moez Al-Sharif, president of the Child Rights Association, emphasizes that children's presence in the digital space has both negative and positive consequences. Al-Sharif nevertheless believes it is important to “raise children to be digital citizens” arguing that public discourse exaggerates the dangers of the digital space on children, while neglecting its benefits, such as knowledge acquisition and the development of talent.

Shared responsibility
The debate over children's presence in the digital space t extends to the legal framework that protects these children.According to Judge Omar Al-Wislati, Tunisian law prohibits the exploitation of children and specifies the conditions and manner in which their images may be published in the digital space.

He emphasizes that photographing a child, even with the consent of the guardian, may constitute child exploitation, “which is a criminal offense.” Al-Wislati points out that “the family is not free to exploit its child as it pleases.. . .What happens in some cases is equivalent to child labor in workshops or farms, but with a more glamorous digital veneer.”

Global studies estimate the market for “child influencers” to be worth billions of dollars, with companies and brands readily investing in children’s ability to capture large audiences.
Al-Wislati says that child protection under Tunisian law is a shared responsibility involving several parties. There is the family, which must protect its children and prevent their exploitation, the juvenile judge, who intervenes when exploitation and endangerment is observed, and the Ministry of Women and Children, which must carry out intensive awareness campaigns.

Dr. Al-Sharif nevertheless underlines that the digital space has become accessible to everyone, pointing out that children cannot be prevented from accessing it, because it gives them the opportunity to develop their skills and talents. However, Al-Sharif also emphasizes the need for concerted efforts to provide them with a safe environment in which to navigate it, stressing that “the new reality requires us to train our children on how to deal with this new world correctly.”

The debate on this phenomenon remains unresolved. At its core lies a difficult balance: keeping pace with digital advancement while safeguarding children, an equation that cannot be resolved by legislation alone.