Will Your Kid Have to be a Brand to Survive?

What do you want to be when you grow up? For Gen Alpha, the answer might just be: a brand.

This week, we enter the world of the Sweet Sisterhood—a so-called “content house” made up of girls aged 8 to 12 with a combined following in the tens of millions. Think ring lights, sassy videos, and moms-turned-managers. But behind the sequins and smiles is a bigger, messier question: Is this the future of childhood? Will every kid need a personal brand just to survive the job market of tomorrow?

We're talking to Teen Vogue reporter Fortesa Latifi about the rise of child influencers, the growing legislation trying to protect them, and the very real existential dread of parenting in a world where social media clout might just be more valuable than a college degree. From influencer economics to the changing definition of a “job,” we ask: what are we preparing our kids for—and would it be bad for them to unplug?

Read Fortesa's article in Teen Vogue here.

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