Toddlers too young to talk properly are being used to advertise skincare products on TikTok, the results of a “harrowing” investigation have revealed.
Journalists with the Guardian combed through the social media platform and found some 400 videos featuring skincare advice from children under 13.
On The Claire Byrne Show, Guardian journalist Sarah Marsh said it is hard to gauge how happy the children are to take part in the videos.
“I don't know if we can say for certain that they're pressuring them,” she explained.
“But all we know is that they're using children in these videos and the children are specifically mentioning certain brands and doing routines.
“Obviously, when you're very young, whether you want to do it or not, it's a question really, I suppose, whether you think a child can consent in that sense.”
While in many cases the age of the child was unclear, the newspaper concluded at least 90 involved children the age of three.
Notably, some of the children are so young that their speech needs to be subtitled.
“Some of these very young children can't actually really fully talk,” Ms Marsh added.
“Which I found one of the most harrowing aspects of it, actually.”
Paid promotions?
Those that can talk often offer explicit endorsements, urging other families to try out the products they’ve.
All despite the fact that they are too young to understand the concept of brand ambassadorship.
“Children, they're very, very influenced by their peers,” Ms Marsh added.
“And that kind of promotion is probably very successful for brands when you've got young people essentially influencing other young people.”
Often, however, the videos lack an explicit declaration of a financial interest; are the parents uploading the video simply because they enjoy content creation and social media likes? Or are they simply not declaraing that they are being paid?
“Even with adult influencers, [advertising agreements] are not always declared,” Ms Marsh said.
“I think these relationships are a bit murky and it's different to watching a TV advert where everything's very clear.”
Main image: A split of a toddler and skincare products. Picture by: Alamy.com.
