Have you ever wondered what it’s like to grow up as a child in a family vlogging household, where every moment of your childhood is broadcast to a massive audience?
The first generation of these kids is now coming of age, and they’re beginning to share their stories. In the U.S., you can pick up the memoir of Shari Franke, whose mother, Ruby Franke, the founder of the YouTube channel 8 Passengers, was recently imprisoned for child abuse.
In the mid-2010s, family vlogging emerged as a massive trend. Riding this wave, Ruby Franke launched 8 Passengers in 2015, documenting her life with her husband Kevin and their six children. Over eight years, the channel amassed 2.5 million subscribers. As a Mormon family, their strictness and religious values initially drew viewers, but this approach soon sparked growing criticism.
The family’s dynamics took a dark turn with the arrival of Jodi Hildebrandt, whom Shari describes as a “cult leader” figure. Much like the film *Parasite*, Hildebrandt effectively took control, imposing her rules and even evicting Kevin from the home. This shift culminated in 2023, when Ruby and Hildebrandt were arrested for child abuse.
Now, Shari is advocating for the rights of children whose parents profit from family vlogs. She argues that monetizing content featuring minors is exploitation, even in seemingly positive family environments. Her core concern is the loss of personal privacy and the psychological pressure of maintaining an “ideal family” image for profit, which she believes harms kids’ mental well-being.
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Shari is pushing for legislative measures to ensure the financial and emotional security of young influencers. Only a few states — Illinois, Minnesota, and California — have laws requiring a percentage of earnings to be placed in trust funds for these children. Ideally, Shari envisions all profits going directly to the kids, with platforms imposing stricter oversight on their parents.
The story is undeniably chilling. Shari’s memoir, The House of My Mother, offers a firsthand account. If you can’t access it but are intrigued, Rolling Stone features a concise profile on Shari and her situation .
