Should you support your child’s dreams of becoming a Youtube influencer?
It’s no secret that many kids aspire to be YouTube influencers when they grow up.
According to a The LEGO Group, who surveyed 3,000 children, kids were three times more likely to state they wanted to be on YouTube than be an astronaut!
It appears that the lure of fame and fortune is strong, and for good reason – YouTube stars can make a lot of money.
But what really motivates kids to want to become YouTube influencers in the first place?
There are a number of reasons why kids want to be Youtube influencers. For one, they may see YouTube stars as having an exciting and glamorous lifestyle. They get to travel to different places, meet interesting people, and be their own boss.
What’s not to like?
Another reason kids might want to be YouTube influencers may be because they believe it will give them a platform to share their voice with the world.
They may have something they’re passionate about and want to share it with others, or they may just enjoy being in front of the camera and entertaining people.
But many parents are unsure about what to think of this aspirational career choice.
To others, the thought of a generation aspiring to be vloggers and social media influencers is concerning.
On the one hand, parents may happy that their child is following their passion. On the other hand, some parents may worry that being a YouTube influencer isn’t a very stable career choice. There are also concerns about the potential negative effects of social media use.
Let’s face it, the odds of fame and fortune on the internet aren’t great.
But who wants to squash their kid’s dreams?
Supporting your child in their influencer dreams can actually be a trojan horse for helping kids learn a host of skills that they can later apply to myriad career domains.
Skills includes:
Storytelling
One of the most important skills kids can learn from making videos is the art of storytelling. You need to be able to capture people’s attention and keep them engaged with your content. Kids can be encouraged to plan and write scripts for their mini-movies, which is useful for language development.
Planning
Another important skill is planning. You need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your videos, and you need to be able to put that plan into action. Kids can be encouraged to plan out all the steps that will be involved in the process including initial idea generation, filming, editing, uploading etc.
Collaboration
Collaborating with other people is a valuable skill to take through life. Kids might recruit their friends to work on a show together. They can explore roles together and navigate the process of co-creation and compromise.
Presentation skills
Video is rapidly embedding itself in all areas of our lives. And getting comfortable presenting ideas to an audience while on camera is increasingly important when trying to get your message across. Long term, video is being used as a recruitment tool in the job market, and as a format for school assignments.
Technical skills
There are also loads of technical skills that kids can develop, including learning how to:
- Use digital cameras
- Consider sound quality and learn about audio equipment
- Use editing programs
Remember, videos don’t have to be posted online.
The fun and learning can be achieved through the process of creating, rather than the external validation of receiving ‘likes’ or the lure of future fame 🙂
Image credit
Photo by Artem Podrez