| Abstract: |
The proliferation of short-form video content on platforms such as TikTok
has fundamentally altered the landscape of digital entertainment in
Nigeria, giving rise to a specific genre of 'child comedy' where minors
perform in skits often directed by parents or guardians. While this
ecosystem has birthed a new economy of 'kidfluencers,' it raises significant
ethical concerns regarding the commodification of childhood and the
potential violation of fundamental rights, including dignity, privacy, and
protection from economic exploitation. This study analyzed select TikTok
videos to determine the extent of these infringements, specifically
examining the roles assigned to children and identifying indicators of
psychological or commercial exploitation against the provisions of the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the
Nigerian Child's Rights Act 2003. The research was anchored on a
triangulation of the theory of Political Economy of Communication,
Social Representation Theory, and the Digital Generative Multimedia Tool
Theory (DGMTT). Employing a qualitative research design utilizing
semiotic analysis and netnography, the study examined a purposive
sample of 20 viral Nigerian TikTok videos. Findings revealed that children
are frequently utilized as 'props' in adult-centric narratives, often required
to mimic inappropriate adult behaviours or endure ridicule for audience
amusement. Netnographic observations indicated that the drive for
monetization and viral engagement frequently supersedes the child's right
to dignity, with audience comments largely normalizing this exploitation
and a notable absence of digital privacy safeguards. The study concluded
that the unregulated use of children in social media comedies constitutes a
pervasive violation of child rights, where exploitation is masked as family
entertainment. This research uniquely contributes to the body of
knowledge by applying DGMTT alongside Social Representation Theory
to the Nigerian context, shifting the scholarly focus from general cybersafety to the specific semiotic construction of the 'child comedian' as a
commodified entity. It is recommended that the Child's Rights Act 2003 be
amended to explicitly cover digital content creation and 'sharenting,' while
social media platforms and advocacy groups like UNICEF must
implement stricter moderation and parental education campaigns to
mitigate the long-term implications of using minors for social media fame. |
