The glossy facade of child influencer fame cracks wide open in Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, a groundbreaking documentary set to premiere on April 9, 2025, exclusively on Netflix. This unflinching exposé pulls back the curtain on the hidden exploitation lurking beneath the curated smiles and viral trends of kidfluencer culture. Through firsthand testimonies from former child stars, whistleblowing parents, and industry insiders, the film reveals systemic abuse, financial manipulation, and the psychological toll of growing up in the digital spotlight.
Leading the charge is Sawyer Sharbino (The Walking Dead, The Tax Collector), who bravely shares his own experiences as a former child actor navigating the pressures of online fame. Directed by Kief Davidson (The Ivory Game, Open Heart) and co-directed by Jenna Rosher, the documentary combines investigative rigor with emotional depth, offering a searing indictment of an industry that profits off minors. For parents, creators, and viewers alike, Bad Influence is a wake-up call about the cost of childhood commodification.
The Voices Behind the Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing
1- Sawyer Sharbino as Self
Now 20 years old, Sawyer Sharbino steps forward as the documentary’s central interviewee, recounting his journey from child actor (Splitting Up Together, Fear the Walking Dead) to social media personality—and the exploitation he endured along the way. Sharbino’s testimony is raw and revelatory, detailing how managers and brands pressured him to maintain a “marketable” image at the expense of his mental health. His segments, filmed in intimate close-ups, reveal the lingering trauma of growing up under algorithmic scrutiny.
Beyond sharing his story, Sharbino serves as a guide through the documentary’s darker revelations, interviewing other young creators who’ve faced similar exploitation. His presence bridges generational gaps in the kidfluencer world, offering both empathy and stark warnings about the industry’s unchecked power.
2- Kief Davidson as Creator/Director/Producer
Acclaimed documentarian Kief Davidson (The Ivory Game, Open Heart) helms this project with a journalist’s precision and an activist’s urgency. Known for tackling systemic corruption, Davidson structures the film like a thriller, weaving together hidden-camera footage, leaked contracts, and emotional sit-downs with families torn apart by monetized childhoods. His dual role as producer ensures the project retains its unflinching edge—Netflix reportedly fought to include scenes of parents confronting exploitative talent managers.
Davidson’s signature style—balancing data-driven exposé with human stakes—shines in sequences juxtaposing lavish “family vlogger” mansions with teen interviewees describing panic attacks. His previous work on child labor issues (see A Perfect Soldier) informs the film’s global perspective, linking U.S. kidfluencers to broader patterns of exploitation.
3- Jenna Rosher as Director
Co-director Jenna Rosher (The Social Dilemma: Extended Interviews) brings her expertise in digital culture’s psychological impacts, focusing on how platforms like TikTok and Instagram incentivize parental exploitation. Rosher’s background in cinematography elevates the film’s visual language, using distorted filters and jarring cuts to mirror the dissonance between kids’ online personas and off-screen realities.
Her collaboration with Davidson is particularly potent in scenes dissecting “sharenting” (parent-run accounts), where she highlights the legal gray areas enabling abuse. Rosher also conducted key interviews with therapists and ex-MCN (Multi-Channel Network) employees, revealing how corporations profit from minors’ unpaid labor.
4- Nile Cappello as Producer
Investigative journalist Nile Cappello (Do You Know This Man?) lends her expertise in uncovering systemic abuse as a producer. Cappello’s research into coercive contracts—including one that granted a brand ownership of a child’s likeness in perpetuity—forms the documentary’s most shocking revelations. Her segments expose how loopholes in child labor laws fail kidfluencers, with California’s Coogan Law (designed to protect child actors) rarely enforced for social media stars.
Cappello’s forensic approach is evident in a scene tracking the money trail from brand deals to parents’ offshore accounts. She also secured testimony from a former TikTok moderator describing how the platform’s algorithms prioritize controversial child content.
