The new Netflix series tackles the topic of influencer moms and child abuse

Online, nothing is more monetizable than children—a universally recognized truth, especially for so-called momagers (mom managers), particularly Tiffany Smith. The new Netflix docuseries Bad Influence, premiering on April 9, delves into the scandal surrounding the mom manager of YouTuber and influencer Piper Rockelle. She has been accused by 11 underage content creators—known as the Piper Squad—of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.

The Rise of Piper Rockelle: From Home Videos to YouTube Stardom

Tiffany Smith uploaded her daughter's first YouTube video in 2016, when Piper was just nine years old. In the video, she demonstrates how to make fluffy slime in a DIY tutorial. Despite being a child, it is striking how polished and rehearsed her gestures and words are, as if she were already accustomed to content creation. “Let’s get started,” she says with a smile to the camera. The video has since gained over 5 million views.

Riding the success of the DIY slime trend, Tiffany encouraged Piper to create more and more videos—tutorials, challenges, and dance content—helping her amass a staggering 8.5 million subscribers on YouTube. As her channel grew, so did her content and collaborations with other young YouTube creators. Between 2017 and 2021, the Piper Squad was formed, a group of underage YouTube stars who appeared in hundreds of videos on Piper’s channel.

The Piper Squad's Allegations and Netflix's "Bad Influence"

In January 2022, a lawsuit was filed against Piper’s mother, Tiffany, seeking damages for 11 charges, including assault, sexual harassment, unjust enrichment, and the involuntary infliction of emotional distress. According to the lawsuit, the young influencers worked thousands of hours for the 550 videos published on Piper’s YouTube channel. Despite their contributions, they were never compensated, even as the channel’s average viewership nearly quintupled between 2018 and 2021. This case of unpaid child exploitation may only be the tip of the iceberg: the plaintiffs allege they were frequently subjected to an emotionally, physically, and at times sexually abusive environment orchestrated by Tiffany Smith, both on and off set.

What the Research Says

A recent article in New Media & Society highlights the uniquely ambiguous ethical and legal status of kidfluencers. Platforms like TikTok should be held accountable for the commercialization of children, but they often bypass this responsibility through vague or insufficient policies, positioning themselves as neutral intermediaries. Meanwhile, parents play an active role in these practices, managing their children's online presence (a phenomenon known as sharenting)—often for financial gain. They turn their kids into brands, curating their online image and shaping their digital activities. Both platforms and parents benefit from this system, at the expense of the children’s well-being, privacy, and mental health.