“Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing” premiered on Netflix on Wednesday, April 9. As you might have already guessed, it’s a dramatic, eye-opening look at the ways in which fame and power are abused.
The three-episode investigative docuseries was created and directed by Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Kief Davidson. It features interviews from former members of online content creator group, The Squad, which is an ensemble of tween friends who collaborated with one another for viral content on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms. Parents of the former Squad members also speak out in the series.
Like many investigative docuseries, “Bad Influence” is full of drama, suspense and heartbreak. While the series sheds light on the devastating emotional consequences of social media fame, who exactly was involved and how devastating were these effects?
Enter Piper Rockelle, a 17-year-old internet star whose self-titled YouTube channel has amassed over 12 million subscribers. Rockelle is the ringleader of The Squad, and her resumé includes a list of appearances on numerous scripted and unscripted television shows.
Rockelle’s success has led her to great heights, earning a salary of over $500,000 per month and a net worth of $4 million, along with a massive following of devoted fans.
Rockelle and other members of The Squad came off as cute, wholesome pre-teen influencers and friends enjoying childhoods and sharing it with the world. However, viewers didn’t realize that there was a darker side to these vlogs.
Tiffany Smith, Rockelle’s mother, is depicted as the main antagonist in this saga. According to the documentary, she was a controlling and manipulative “momager” who was harsh on other members of The Squad.
Her questionable behavior included prohibiting members of The Squad from taking lunch and bathroom breaks, forcing them to work up to 12 hours a day — longer than the eight hours allowed by California law for child performers — and forcing them to engage in inappropriate behavior, like kissing each other.
In January 2022, former members of The Squad filed a $22 million lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Smith. They accused her of child abuse and improper compensation, and alleged that Piper Rockelle, Inc., the organization run by Rockelle and Smith, conspired to harm their own individual channels when they chose to leave the group.
According to E! News, the case was finally settled in October of last year after Smith paid $1.85 million to the 11 content creators — all of whom are still minors — who had accused her of abuse.
While most people would agree that having relentless online validation and a fanbase of millions of people sounds like nothing but pure ecstasy, it’s also easy for newfound fame to damage and destroy the lives of people, as shown in “Bad Influence.”
Perhaps, after watching this documentary series, viewers can understand the effects of being internet famous and how not everything off-camera is as it seems on-camera.
Rating: 4.5/5
Feautured photo by Laura Chouette