The Jordan Harbinger Show: Episode 1206

Taylor Lorenz | How Child Influencers Become Predator Magnets

Date: September 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the disturbing and largely unregulated world of child influencers, focusing on how children garnering large social followings become targets for online predators. Journalist and author Taylor Lorenz joins host Jordan Harbinger to explore the underbelly of family vlogging, child influencer marketing, content houses, and the mechanisms by which predators access, exploit, and groom young online stars. Lorenz and Harbinger also unpack the economic, psychological, and ethical dilemmas facing parents and kids in the influencer economy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin and Evolution of the Influencer Economy

• Early influencer culture stemmed from anonymous mommy bloggers who shared candid stories, rarely featuring their kids visually (08:10).
• As platforms became more visual (YouTube, Instagram), children moved from background to primary content in family channels (11:43).
• The shift accelerated with TikTok, democratizing influencer opportunities and exploding the number of family/child-centric accounts (13:00).

2. Monetization and Economic Incentives

• Families can make anywhere from hundreds to millions per year—money comes from ad revenue, sponsorships, and direct payment for content impressions (14:00–18:24).
• Brands want to be "part of every family moment," monetizing even private rites of passage (18:24).

3. Exposure, Exploitation & Predator Access

• With children’s content, disturbing user behavior emerges: adults, often men, timestamping videos at suggestive moments (e.g., a girl doing splits) to guide others (12:27–14:00).
• Algorithms amplify problematic content: engagement (even via disturbing comments) boosts video popularity, inviting more exploitation (46:45).
• As Lorenz warns: “Once you start to see weird telegram links appear or the subscription base becomes mostly men, you have to ask why—and if you want to cultivate this audience.” (01:00, 42:12)

4. Parental Motivation & Complicity

• Some parents are lured by economic need or cultural incentives, rationalizing or ignoring risks for financial return (16:32, 18:24, 56:17).
• Others are complicit or reckless, ignoring obvious warning signs or even curating content to appeal to predatory audiences (47:24).
• Harbinger: “I get really being able to use the money...and then figuring out any way possible to keep the gravy train running.” (56:05)

5. Child Privacy, Consent & Psychological Impact

• Most kids in the influencer spotlight cannot consent meaningfully to having their lives documented (10:21).
• Loss of privacy is irreversible: even “responsible” content can be scraped by AI, found by strangers, and tracked forever (29:59, 39:40).
• Many kids either crave more digital presence or regret never having had privacy: “A significant amount...didn't feel like a person without a robust digital footprint” (25:31).

6. Notable Cases & Societal Parallels

• Pageant culture and trad wife family influencers blend traditional social roles and influencer economy, often in conservative/religious spheres (20:57–22:09).
• Not all outcomes are negative: some children leverage early fame for adult careers, but others struggle with loss of agency, mental health, and burnout (23:32–24:48, 38:52).
• Lorenz: “The biggest luxury you can give your kids is privacy.” (29:59)

7. Law, Regulation, and Platform Accountability

• Child labor laws exist for actors but are poorly applied or non-existent for influencer children (69:36).
• Emerging laws (e.g., Utah Bill) may backfire and endanger children further due to poor legislative understanding (70:04–71:36).
• Platforms often prioritize engagement metrics over child safety, making it difficult to block or moderate adult followers (48:18–51:20).

8. The Dark Side: Grooming, Abuse, and Content Houses

• The New York Times expose found 75–90% male audiences for some underage girl accounts, with coordinated predation in Telegram groups (40:25–45:41).
• “Subscription-only bikini weeks” for young girls are marketed openly by parents, who often escape legal scrutiny despite clear exploitation (45:17).
• Child content houses can be exploitative, with little oversight and high risk of abuse or trafficking (69:36, 57:06).

9. Societal & Cultural Responsibility

• Fixation on youth and girls’ sexuality is a deep societal issue, not restricted to the internet (49:21–50:48, 66:28).
• Lorenz: "We need to teach girls that there are other ways to value yourself...not just your body and how young you are." (75:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On online predators:

  “Whether these girls’ accounts are being monetized or not, a lot of older men want to follow preteen girls or teen girls, and you can imagine why. It’s not because they’re interested in what they have to say.”
  — Taylor Lorenz [01:00, 42:12]

• On monetization incentives:

  “Some are convicted sex offenders. And the platform...isn’t doing anything about that. In fact, the algorithm is helping them find your child faster.”
  — Jordan Harbinger [03:23]

• On loss of privacy:

  “The biggest luxury you can give your kids is privacy.”
  — Taylor Lorenz [29:59]

• On the role of parents:

  “There are good parents and bad parents, right? ... Some well-intentioned people get into it, and then they're in too deep. But then there’s a lot that I think are completely complicit and should be prosecuted.”
  — Taylor Lorenz [57:05]

• On fame's damaging effects:

  “I’ve never seen fame do something good for someone…they have money and things like that, but…they have an identity crisis.”
  — Shep Gordon (paraphrased by Harbinger) [39:40]

• On the bigger problem:

  “There’s something I think is actually a bigger problem with this whole, like, child influencer industry. And that is the fact that young people don’t have their identity formed yet…The incentive structure is there to lock you in. And so kids end up with a lot of psychological damage because they can’t really evolve and explore themselves.”
  — Taylor Lorenz [62:47–64:58]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Early influencer & mommy blogger culture: 08:05–10:21
• Monetization dynamics & brand incentives: 11:43–14:00 & 18:24–19:23
• Predatory engagement and comments: 12:27–14:00
• Economic appeal versus risk: 16:28–18:24; 56:05–56:17
• Parental complicity, naivete, and entrapment: 16:32, 56:05–57:06
• New York Times expose findings: 40:25–45:41
• Algorithmic and platform failures: 46:45 & 48:18–51:20
• Regulatory failures and damaging laws: 69:36–71:36
• Harms of premature fame and identity 'lock-in': 62:47–64:58
• Advice to parents on navigating this world: 58:43–60:39

Practical Takeaways for Listeners

• Don’t let kids run influencer accounts unsupervised. Privacy and age-appropriate boundaries are vital.
• Monitor followers, comments, and DMs for red flags—large male audiences and timestamps can indicate predatory engagement.
• Engage children about online risks, consent, and the value of privacy. Offer creative outlets through private/family-sharing platforms.
• Advocate for real policy reform and platform accountability—not just performative or poorly considered laws.
• Challenge the broader culture that commodifies and sexualizes girls. Value kids for who they are, not how many likes they get.

Overall Tone & Final Thoughts

Jordan and Taylor combine dark humor (“free tampons,” “bikini week for your nine-year-old”) with frank, nuanced analysis. The conversation is equal parts cautionary tale, exposé, and practical advice—often disturbing, always insightful.

Jordan: “If you know someone who’s interested in becoming an influencer, or has a child influencer, share this episode.”

Taylor: “Teach your girls to value themselves for who they are, not how they look or their youth. The best thing you can give your child is privacy.”