We all know the horrific Hollywood stories of poor child actors, taken advantage of by greedy stage parents: Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, Macaulay Culkin, Drew Barrymore.
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But there is another generation of "child stars" who feature on much smaller screens.
At some point, people realised they could make a lot of money by sharing themselves on the internet. Some of those were parents, who discovered they got even more clicks - and dollars - when they got their little ones involved.
Cue "family influencers".
Photogenic Californian couple, Catherine and Austin Ace, have 18 million subscribers on YouTube. Six-year-old Elle, four-year-old Alaia and two-year-old Steel were on camera from their first breath, literally. The video of Steel's birth got 23 million views.
Then there are child influencers who have to actually work, even if it's unboxing presents or playing with slime, with some parents quitting their jobs to manage the kids' "career" full-time.
These are extreme examples, but the practice of everyday "sharenting" has come under scrutiny.
The French are considering an anti-sharenting bill, which would prioritise a child's right to privacy over their parents' desire to brag.
French MP Bruno Studer raises serious concerns about the practice: he claimed 50 per cent of images found on child exploitation sites were freely shared on social media.
Critics of the bill may say it blames parents for the depravity of sick criminals. The world has changed, we share our lives on the internet now.
But should we?
I agree the responsibility ultimately lies on the person who has done the wrong thing. But I've even started asking friends' permission before sharing photos of them on social media (hoping they give me the same courtesy!) And these are adults, who can actually make an informed choice and consent.
There are ways of sharing your life, including your children, while respecting their privacy.
MORE OPINION:
Social media accounts all have privacy settings. I find I have fewer followers on my private Instagram account than on Facebook.
Openly discuss your boundaries with other people in their life. Not everyone appreciates the dark power of the online world, but they should respect the rules you put in place to protect your child.
We have long stopped considering our offspring as being our property - the same goes with their image. You don't own them, and certainly not if you put them on the internet.
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