The author Delphine de Vigan alerted Tuesday on Europe 1 on the phenomenon of starification of what she calls "child sandwiches".
These little stars on social networks are exposed by their parents, leaving aside the right to the image.
She devotes a new novel on the subject entitled "Children are kings".
In her new novel, Delphine de Vigan points to a growing phenomenon: that of the starification of children on social networks.
These little boys and girls, sometimes still babies, "are transformed a little into child-sandwiches who constantly promote various and varied products", warns the author, Tuesday on Europe 1. It's a universe " which is totally dedicated to consumption and the profusion of product placement, ”suggests Delphine de Vigan.
In her new novel
Children Are Kings,
she tells the story of a family of influencers on YouTube and highlights the dangers of this activity.
"A permanent injunction to happiness"
For the writer, the environment created around these child stars "is a fiction".
"It is a permanent injunction to happiness. A sort of idealized image of the perfect family. But the perfect family is the family that consumes. And behind these videos, there are above all values of consumption, of possession, ”she continues.
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Values that remind him of those of classic teleshopping.
The videos of children on social networks would therefore be a modern version of these television shows.
"We give the illusion of a family chain," she emphasizes.
But in reality, everything is directed towards consumption "through different playful scenarios such as unwrapping gifts, researching products in supermarkets, tasting and comparing different products".
The question of image rights
To illustrate this phenomenon, she slipped, in her novel, in the skin of Clara, a policewoman who is investigating the disappearance of a little girl, Kimmy.
But this kid is a YouTube star with his brother, Sammy, through their Happy Récré channel.
Through this story, the author questions the place of child stars in society and the way in which they should be defended.
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Delphine de Vigan thus tackles the question of the right to the image of these children.
"Do the parents own the right to the image of their child or are they its protectors?", She asks herself at the microphone of Europe 1. One thing is certain , children will be able to hold their parents to account as they grow older.
A law governing the commercial exploitation of the image of children under 16 on online platforms will come into force in April 2021.