Do we underestimate the media skills of young people?

Mrs Autenrieth, what should you do if your daughter decides at the age of 13 that she wants to become an influencer?

First of all, it's great if she goes to her parents and talks about her wishes and goals. I would definitely accept this wish and find out what aspect of this job appeals to her and how much seriousness is behind it. Model, rock star, professional footballer - almost everyone had a glamorous career aspiration as a teenager and their parents rolled their eyes. Today, influencers have joined the ranks.

But what if the daughter is really serious? Should I support her?

Absolutely. My recommendation is to work on the content, away from the clichés. The question is, what things interest the child? What do they want to define themselves by and perhaps find a larger community for? Dancing, sewing, Lego?

We patronise young people when we decide what kind of self-expression is okay for them.

Ulla Autenrieth

We usually talk about the most popular influencers in the lifestyle or beauty sectors. And in doing so, we ourselves help to reinforce clichés. But there are so many different fields, some of which have a great deal of expertise and creativity.

Do you have an example?

Behind maiLab is a young chemist who shows experiments and her life as a scientist, now with her own television programme. Another example is Coldmirror, which produces more artistic and socially critical content. These young women could also have made adverts for lipstick, but have opted for what is really their thing.

Don't I first have to learn something in depth before I can market it digitally?

This would mean that you can only blog or talk about things in which you have been trained or have a formal qualification. But who has the authority to decide what «level» is sufficient? Is training enough? Do you need a degree? A doctorate? There are opportunities for informal and intrinsically motivated learning here, without external pressure to perform. Perhaps this is a wonderful opportunity for those children who cannot pursue their interests at school to acquire knowledge.

There are lots of likes for sexy photos, not for beautiful Lego towers. How do I deal with it when my daughter presents herself in Lolita poses and revealing pictures?

It's important to remember that adolescence is all about forming a gender identity and testing and getting to know your own sexual impact on other people. Young people have always done this - only today it is public, visible and assessable in the long term.

I am against the fact that we are focussing so strongly on girls again. It pushes them into a sexualised victim role: You present yourself like this, then you have to be able to deal with a shitstorm. It's a patronising attitude if we want to decide what kind of self-presentation is okay.

So bikini pictures are okay?

Such a statement is too generalised for me. Attitudes are extremely different depending on the family and culture. It is important to have an open discussion about why children or young people want to present themselves in a certain way. About what they want to show, for what reasons and how. If I say «That looks cheap, you can't do that!», it has no developmental value. Let's talk to the girls and boys about why they comment on certain images with insults or compliments.

Since autumn 2018, various institutions in Switzerland have been offering a training course for influencers. What does this training involve?

There are now several training programmes. They teach you about media law, marketing or graphic design, for example - the technical things. Many people have the wrong idea about the qualifications of influencers. They don't post snapshots online and then watch what happens.

Let's talk to the girls and boys about why they comment on pictures with insults.

Ulla Authenrieth

Behind this is research and strategies regarding the timing of publication or visual language - they often have their own aesthetic, a corporate design. They also have very extensive working hours. But all the training, research and the best filter do not make a successful influencer. That certain something is also part of it. Just like a model, a singer or a presenter.

If the demands are so high, why are so many people critical of this profession?

This is due to a phenomenon that runs through all media developments: What young people do, especially what young women do, is viewed critically by older generations: It can't be right. It hasn't been established for years and there is no official training for it according to formal criteria.

The work is labelled as amateurish and clichéd. The professional nature of it and the wide range of subject areas are often not even recognised. For many, it's just a couple of girls sitting at home holding a lipstick up to the camera.

Is this holding lipstick in front of the camera being unfairly criticised?

Definitely, if you think about how successful some people are at it. You first have to get it so that millions think it's great and companies pay you for it. In this respect, influencers can also be compared to artists who receive incredible sums of money for their paintings: Anyone can paint a single stroke on a canvas and still not get millions for it.

Why does the comparison with artists go against the grain? Aren't influencers just living billboards?

That would be the extreme opposite attitude. If we compare an influencer with a traditional advertising actor, this becomes clear. Thanks to influencers, we have more competent and authentic advertising than ever before. Because they «hang and die» with their name and their person for what they advertise.

It would be a shame to stop being creative and expressing yourself out of sheer fear of a shitstorm.

Ulla Autenrieth

Influencers need to pay close attention to branding and credibility. After all, the shitstorm comes quickly if they advertise a shirt that was produced under inhumane conditions. In contrast to a conventional model, who is hardly associated with the products as a person.

How can I help and support my child if it triggers a shitstorm?

The same applies here: stay in contact with the child, communicate, offer help. Not every critical comment is a «shitstorm». However, it certainly makes sense to discuss with the child what can and cannot be considered helpful and well-founded criticism. This can certainly also be applied to other areas of life. However, it is also important not to panic. It would be a shame not to be creative and express yourself out of sheer fear of critical reactions.

Are young followers so critical?

Of course, this varies. Young people are often accused of being naive and consumer-orientated. And when you get older, you usually feel superior to younger people. However, I would strongly question this «age discrimination».

Let's get back to the 13-year-old daughter. She now wants to influence the topic of Lego. How do I support her?

The first thing you should do is look at comparable accounts. There are great things there. Then you should think about what she can do differently, similarly or in a new way. Does she put herself centre stage or does she stay in the background? Does she make elaborate films or does she mainly work with images? Does she give tips or does she set tasks? Then it's about networking with people who are interested in the same thing, producing it and putting it online. You can support them constructively in all of this. And also in pointing out where she needs to pay attention - for example, when someone asks for photos or an address.

That sounds like a pretty big effort!

Definitely. It's not just about technical things like lighting, camera work and editing. It's also about content. And it's also good that children and young people see this. Nevertheless, it can be fun and become a shared hobby within the family.

I think it's fundamentally important to take a constructive approach to these new media. It's no longer enough to sit there and say: «Dangerous media, bad people, and paedophiles are everywhere anyway!» We have to take action. And of course it's a lot of work. I say that from a professional perspective and as a mother.

Speaking of dangers: The fact that everyone seems to be perfect on social media is a recurring theme. How do you rate the pressure that this puts on young people?

I have been working on this topic for over ten years and would therefore like to say something in advance. Let's remember the early days of social media, when it was said: "Help, young people are only posting embarrassing photos of themselves online. Half-naked, drunk, they won't get a job because of it.

The development towards positive self-presentation shows the learning experience of young people on social media.

Ulla Autenrieth

Today, this is no longer an issue. Today they only show their good sides, they have «finally got it», so to speak. But now the adults come along and say: It's all just a facade. They all present themselves far too positively. But you could also say that this development towards positive self-presentation shows the learning experiences and professionalisation of young people in social media.

Nevertheless, the issue of pressure is very present. Do we know what effect these representations of flawlessness, attractiveness and luxury have?

Young people are not given enough credit here either. The influence of social media is overestimated and the learning experience underestimated. If you ask young people, it becomes clear that they are definitely aware that a lot is staged and that other problems influence everyday life among their friends.

Experts recommend introducing children to digital media from kindergarten age. How is this supposed to work?

One thing is clear: parents are often busy with their smartphones and children are therefore curious. They should therefore be involved in an age-appropriate way. It's important to discuss what I look at, for how long and why. Who do I send which pictures to and when do I put the smartphone away completely?

I think it's a crass attitude to demonise posting children's photos online.

Ulla Autenrieth

Even small children understand that you can Skype with their grandparents or send them photos. You can do this together and, for example, look at emojis and discuss what they mean. There are also great picture book apps for toddlers or apps that can be used to learn letters. Not all media use is the same.

But what if my teenager spends hours scrolling through Instagram?

If he also does a lot of other things, if he actively participates in life and uses this «scrolling» in between as relaxation, just like we adults do, I don't see a problem. However, if he hardly ever goes out and doesn't enjoy other things, then this behaviour should be addressed.

It is also important to offer alternatives. Hiking together, trips to the museum or zoo, a course or a hobby. A simple «Don't do that!» has no effect. In this case, too, you should start with yourself as a role model, as you will quickly realise how difficult it is to adhere to your own media usage rules.

How critical are you of influencers who show and market their children?

This is about the fundamental question of whether you are allowed to post children's photos online or not. Children are often a big part of their parents' lives. And if they show their life, the child is also part of it. But showing children is not the same as showing children. For example, you can only show the hand, the back of the head or the child from a distance.

Basically, I think it's a blatant attitude to demonise the posting of children's photos online. What would it mean if children's photos were no longer allowed to be shown? In addition, enquiries with children have shown that they also want to be visible and are sometimes disappointed when they don't appear. They ask themselves: Was I not there? Didn't we do anything great? Aren't you proud of me, or were you even embarrassed by me?

Embarrassing is a good keyword. Parents are often criticised for posting embarrassing photos of their children online.

The arguments here are always very extreme. The examples shown for «illustration» purposes often come from stock photo agencies, i.e. from the «professional» context already mentioned. Parents generally don't want to show or expose their child in an unfavourable way. Of course, the depiction is partly a question of taste and attitude. Like so many things when it comes to responsibility for children: cloth nappies or not, vegan or not, to vaccinate or not? It's a minefield.