Podcast Summary: "The Truth About Family Vlogging"

Podcast: Sunday Sports Club with Allison Kuch
Host: Allison Kuch (Dear Media)
Guest: Shari Franke (Author of The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom)
Episode Date: December 14, 2025

Overview

In this impactful episode, Allison Kuch welcomes Shari Franke—formerly of the “8 Passengers” YouTube channel and now author and advocate—to discuss the realities and repercussions of growing up as a child influencer. The conversation centers on Shari’s experience in “family vlogging,” her mother’s arrest and subsequent imprisonment, the publication of her memoir, and her advocacy for stronger child protections online. Shari offers a candid look at the effects of content creation on family dynamics, personal agency, public perception, and legislative action.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Shari’s Introduction and Self-Identity

• [00:52] Shari describes her changing self-introduction: once as a child influencer, now as an author reflecting on a turbulent public upbringing.
  • “If you were to ask me now, I never want to give people, like, the blunt answer of ‘you've probably seen my mother on the news and she is in prison and I am her daughter.’... I grew up as a child influencer and I wrote a book about it, and here I am.” — Shari Franke ([00:52])
• She shares how public recognition remains awkward, with strangers recognizing her but not mentioning her background directly.

Writing the Memoir: Process & Motivation

• [03:08] Shari credits therapy as pivotal in helping her process trauma and feel ready to share her story.
  • “All, like, even before everything hit the fan and growing up, I was like, ‘I want to write a book someday about my life.’ … I wanted to be able to tell what actually happened because a lot of people don't know or they don't care to know.” — Shari ([03:20])
• [04:52] She worked to separate her younger self’s perspective from her adult reflections.
  • “I really wanted to write it as if I was living it again and not put my adult perspective on it … save that pondering for the end.” ([04:52])
• [05:40] The writing process shocked her into realizing just how abnormal her childhood was.
  • “Even in therapy … I'd say things so nonchalantly and they're like, ‘oh, that is not normal.’” ([05:40])
• [06:41] Upon release, she was struck by how little her daily life changed, despite the book’s wide circulation.
  • “My life really hasn't changed, but now this book is out there.” ([06:41])

Public Reception & Intended Impact

• [07:45] Shari stresses that her book isn’t just a recounting of events, but a bid to help readers relate and feel seen.
  • Many reach out about learning new trauma responses (like “Fawn”), seeing themselves in her experiences, and using her story to seek support.
  • “Because there's so much that I've gone through, I think everyone can relate in some small way…” ([08:29])

Advocacy Against Family Vlogging

• [09:47] Shari describes the cumulative toll of growing up online and her evolving stance against family vlogging.
  • Online content caused persistent discomfort, affected relationships (like false rumors about her and her brother), and created lingering digital footprints.
  • “Even if Eight Passengers were taken down… all that footage is still out there somewhere. Realizing that 13-year-old Shari is always on the internet… made me want to help other kids not have to go through that.” ([09:47])
• [13:16] She highlights long-term impacts: family relationships suffer, audience expectations distort reality, and kids are held to impossible standards.
  • “It really starts to affect our family relationships offline as well … you're never going to see the footage of the parents yelling at the kids because they're not smart. Why would they air that?” ([13:16])
• [15:47] Discusses the blurred boundary between sharing family moments and monetizing them: milestones, holidays, hardships—all become content.
  • “That was the main thought for like birthdays and vacations and holidays… Those are the big moneymaker events.” ([15:40])

Legislative and Policy Efforts

• [22:14] Shari recalls testifying before the Utah House of Representatives for child influencer protections:
  • Felt ignored by legislators, but hopeful her message reached the public.
  • Surprised (and unsettled) by attorneys hired by family bloggers to lobby against protections.
  • “I was surprised at the backlash that I got after posting about it, and that was surprising to me.” ([23:46])
• [24:04] Points out contradictions in creators lobbying against regulation:
  • “Family vloggers will say, ‘Oh we pay our kids and we don’t post things they don’t want’... then why hire someone to lobby against a bill that requires you to pay them if you say you’re already paying?” ([24:04])

Issues of Consent, Exploitation, and Gray Areas

• [27:47] Shari refutes the idea that children can give informed consent to being featured online:
  • “A kid who says yes, I’m okay with being online—why do they want that? Because they get money … they’re not seeing the long-term impact of that and it’s on the parent…” ([27:47])
• [29:30] On healthy sharing:
  • Private, family-only sharing is fine; turning a child into a public “content character” is not.
  • “When it crosses a line into, ‘I am deliberately going out of my way to make content and show my child,’ there’s no amount of that, to me, that is healthy.” ([29:30])
• [32:27] Top misconceptions:
  • The myth that all children in vlogging “want” to be there—when in reality, most are conditioned by lifestyle and parental pressure.
  • “You have no way of knowing if that is true.” ([32:27])

Personal Agency, Privacy, and Rebuilding

• [40:32] Shari’s present:
  • Has stepped back from content creation.
  • Practices strong boundaries with her private life (work, relationships, location, etc.).
  • “Honestly, now I kind of view it in a way of like … it's never going to be me sharing what I did today.” ([40:32])
• [42:29] On safety:
  • Takes deliberate steps to avoid being tracked or doxxed due to previous experiences with reporters and online sleuths.
• [44:26] On self-care:
  • Finds liberation in small acts (like buying soda), developing hobbies, and enjoying privacy.
  • “I feel like I can have hobbies outside of … school. I’ve gotten into rock climbing… I feel I can go do something and unplug completely.” ([44:26])
• [45:52] Lingering effects:
  • Still occasionally wonders how others perceive her decisions, but is learning to make autonomous choices.

Advice for Listeners and Call to Action

• [46:49] Biggest question for future advocacy:
  • “Why, as a viewer, do you watch this person? … If people stopped watching them, we wouldn't have to pass those laws because they would stop making that content.” ([46:49])
• [47:57] First step for advocacy:
  • Stop viewing family content; call out inappropriate posts; encourage others to reconsider consumption. ([47:57])
• [49:11] Looking ahead:
  • While Shari recognizes she’ll remain a public figure to some extent, she looks forward to living privately and choosing what to share.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Realizing that 13-year-old Shari is always on the Internet and always will be made me want to help other kids not have to go through that.” — Shari ([09:47])
• “You're never going to see the footage of the parents yelling at the kids…there's just no possible way to know that what happened to my family isn't also happening behind camera to someone else…” — Shari ([13:16])
• “When it crosses a line into ‘I am deliberately going out of my way to make content and show my child,’ there’s no amount of that…that is healthy.” — Shari ([29:30])
• “I can't see any benefit [to a child being in a content family] … Being online is a small price to pay to keep my lifestyle. But beyond that…there’s just…I can't see any benefit.” — Shari ([30:20])
• “I look forward to being able to control a large part of that—of what I put out there… I look forward to living my life and not having people know about it.” — Shari ([49:11])

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:52 — Shari’s introduction and shifts in identity
• 03:08 — Motivation for writing her memoir
• 09:47 — Realization of harm and advocacy against family vlogging
• 13:16 — Effects of vlogging on family relationships
• 15:40 — Monetization and blurring of personal milestones
• 22:14 — Testifying before Utah legislators
• 27:47 — Issues of consent for children in content
• 29:30 — On boundaries/what (not) to share about kids
• 32:27 — Common misconceptions about influencer kids
• 40:32 — Regaining agency and privacy post-vlogging
• 46:49 — Digital ethics and collective responsibility
• 47:57 — How listeners can help protect children online
• 49:11 — Hopes for the future

Final Thoughts

This episode is a candid, sobering exploration of the hidden costs of family vlogging and child influencer culture, delivered by someone who has experienced it firsthand. Shari Franke urges listeners and content consumers to reevaluate the impact of their views and support on vulnerable children, driving home the need for stronger ethical and legal safeguards—and above all, a culture that prioritizes kids’ agency and safety over internet fame.