Netflix’s highly anticipated docuseries Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing premiered on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, shedding light on the troubling reality behind child influencer culture. Centered on YouTube star Piper Rockelle and her mother Tiffany Smith, the three-part series explores allegations of exploitation, manipulation, and abuse within the world of online fame.
The series delves into the rise and fallout of Rockelle’s popular YouTube channel, which gained significant traction through prank videos, relationship-themed content, and group challenges featuring a rotating cast of young aspiring influencers known as “The Squad.” At the height of its popularity, the channel reportedly generated over $500,000 per month.
Behind the scenes, however, disturbing allegations surfaced. Tiffany Smith, Rockelle’s mother and manager, has faced accusations from multiple former Squad members of physical and emotional abuse, sexual harassment, and exploitation. Eleven individuals, many of whom were minors at the time, filed a lawsuit in January 2022, claiming Smith had subjected them to inappropriate behavior and failed to compensate them for their appearances on the channel.
After a years-long legal battle, the case was settled in October 2024 for $1.85 million. In the wake of the scandal, YouTube demonetized Rockelle’s channel in February 2022, stripping the family of its ad revenue.
Bad Influence features firsthand accounts from the affected teens and their families, offering a rare glimpse into the pressures and consequences of child stardom in the digital age. The documentary serves as a stark reminder of the darker aspects of the influencer industry, where children are thrust into the limelight without adequate protection.
As the series unfolds, it highlights the psychological toll that such fame can take on young content creators. Kristie McVee, a child abuse detective, emphasizes the urgent need for regulatory measures to safeguard minors in the digital space. “I’ve seen the damage that unchecked adult power and authority can do, and unfortunately, the world of kidfluencers is becoming the Wild West of child exploitation,” McVee stated.
She continues, “We have strict child labor laws for a reason: to protect children from being overworked, used, and commodified. Yet when a child gains hundreds of thousands of followers online, those same protections vanish.” McVee warns that when children are consistently featured online, they become vulnerable to predators who exploit their visibility.
“When we serve up our children’s lives on a digital platter, we don’t get to choose who pulls up a chair,” she cautions, referencing a statistic that reveals 60 percent of images found on predator computers were sourced from social media.
The docuseries also examines the dynamic within The Squad—a group that formed around Rockelle and was curated by her mother. The Squad initially consisted of young content creators who collaborated on videos, but as their popularity grew, so did concerns from parents about the increasingly sexualized content and the pressures placed on the children.
“Tiffany's direction became desperate, leading to more sexualized content involving the children,” a former Squad member revealed. Many members distanced themselves from the group, allegedly becoming victims of a hate campaign led by Smith.
The documentary captures the intricate relationships that have shaped this vibrant group, which began in 2018 when Rockelle was just 11 years old. As she amassed millions of followers, Smith began inviting other aspiring influencers to join her daughter in front of the camera, creating a rotating cast that would eventually be known as The Squad.
Despite the controversy, Rockelle continues to create content online, boasting over 12 million subscribers on YouTube and a net worth estimated at $3 million. In a TikTok from February, she expressed her desire to share her side of the story when she turns 18 in August.
However, the docuseries raises crucial questions about parental responsibility and the ethical implications of child influencers. As McVee points out, “These kids are being turned into brands before they even know who they are. And when your childhood is monetized, privacy becomes a currency you can never get back.”
Many former Squad members have since moved on to pursue their own careers in content creation, but the scars of their experiences remain. Sophie Fergi runs a podcast and YouTube series, while Gavin Magnus is an aspiring musician. Others, like Corinne Joy and Emily Dobson, continue to engage with their audiences across various platforms.
As the documentary unfolds, it becomes clear that the world of kidfluencers is fraught with challenges, and the need for protective measures has never been more urgent. With a significant portion of the audience for teen girl influencers being adult men, the risks associated with child influencers are alarming.
The documentary notes that about 92 percent of the audience for teen girl influencers is likely to be adult men, raising concerns about the motivations behind the viewership of such content. This reality underscores the importance of vigilance from parents and guardians in navigating the digital landscape.
In a world where children are increasingly showcased online, Bad Influence serves as a critical examination of the potential dangers and ethical dilemmas surrounding child influencers. It calls for a broader conversation about the responsibilities of parents, content creators, and platforms in safeguarding the well-being of young stars.
As the docuseries concludes, viewers are left to ponder the implications of child fame in the digital age and the urgent need for reform to protect the next generation of creators from exploitation.
