Influencer Culture: How Commodifying People Fuels Child and Teen Exploitation Online
This article is written by Tiana Sharifi based off of her Influencer-Driven Exploitation theory.
I was giving a presentation on Cybersafety to a group of 300 elementary students, when an 11-year-old approached me and asked, “Are you going to talk about OnlyFans?”
Every year, I speak to tens of thousands of teens about sexual exploitation. As a human trafficking expert, I have a visceral reaction to the idea of people being sold for their bodies. The human trafficking industry generates an estimated $150 billion annually, largely driven by online exploitation. Knowing that the median age of grooming is just 13 years old—and that it’s demand, the purchasers, who perpetuate this horrific cycle—motivates my work to protect kids from sexual predators, human traffickers, and pimps.
But there’s an alarming shift happening in the online landscape.
It’s no longer just the predators and traffickers grooming kids and teens; society itself—through media, cultural norms, and the relentless pursuit of profit—is now doing that work for them by putting price tags on people.
In the age of social media dominance, influencer culture has reshaped how we interact with the digital world.
At the heart of influencer culture is the idea that people can monetize their lives, turning themselves into a product. Whether it’s a fitness routine, a beauty regimen, or family moments, every aspect of an influencer’s life becomes content to sell. For adults, this may seem empowering—taking control of one’s narrative and capitalizing on it. However, for children and teens, this dynamic is not so straightforward.
When influencers commodify themselves, they blur the line between identity and product. Their value becomes tied to how many followers they have, how many views they get, and how much engagement they generate. This phenomenon fosters a culture where people's worth is reduced to numbers and clicks, sending the message that to be seen and valued, one must constantly be “on display.”
Everywhere we look—from social media influencers to platforms like OnlyFans—the commodification of people is becoming normalized. Kids and teens are growing up in this digital age where social media is everything. They’re constantly bombarded with images of influencers living their best lives, while prostitution is being rebranded as content creation or sugar dating.
The message young people are receiving is clear: “If you want to be valued, you need to sell yourself.” But this mentality doesn’t empower; it exploits. It leads to the normalization of exploitation and the objectification of human beings.
OnlyFans and Exploitation
Over the past few years, OnlyFans has become a cultural phenomenon, closely tied to influencer culture. It has 120 million registered users with And almost half of these adult content creators are under the age of 25.
Originally marketed as a platform for creators to monetize their content, it quickly became synonymous with explicit content, pornography, and even prostitution. In fact, 98% of its content is pornographic.
Platforms like OnlyFans have taken the concept of commodification to a new level, encouraging people to sell not just products or lifestyles, but their bodies. The allure is powerful: financial freedom, independence, and a sense of control over your own image. But this narrative is deeply flawed. It masks a darker reality where the lines between choice and exploitation are dangerously blurred.
According to MediaSmarts, 40% of teenagers have shared sexually explicit images of themselves, often under pressure to gain social validation or financial rewards. What was once a crisis driven by external predators is now being fueled by societal pressures and the pervasive influence of social media.
In fact, one of the trends that I see commonly is the teenager who has a Linktree in her Instagram profile- a means for everyday strangers to buy her items or send her money just because they like her look. Eventually, this leads to a direct relationship and exchange between them and someone much older who expects sexual behaviours in return for financial gain or gifts. In other words, sugar dating. While it is marketed as mutually beneficial and glamorous, it is in reality transactional sex with someone predatory. Sugar dating has been a more subtle gateway into this world of commodifying people. Studies have shown that 40% of sugar babies go on to sell themselves on OnlyFans.
When teens see their peers or even adults they look up to making money through explicit content, it sets a dangerous precedent. It sends the message that self-worth is directly tied to how much you’re willing to expose or sell yourself. And it’s not just strangers who are tuning in—it’s classmates, acquaintances, and sometimes, it’s predators.
How Influencer Culture Perpetuates Exploitation
Tiana Sharifi speaking about how platforms like OnlyFans and influencer culture promote and normalize sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Influencer-Driven Exploitation theory
It Blurs the Boundaries on Sharing Personal Information
Influencer culture thrives on access. The more personal an influencer’s content, the more relatable and engaging they become to their audience. This trend trickles down to children and teens, who may feel compelled to overshare intimate details of their lives online in hopes of achieving influencer status. Unfortunately, predators take advantage of this vulnerability and use it to groom young people.Objectification and Hypersexualization
Many influencers, particularly those in beauty, fashion, and fitness industries, gain followers by conforming to specific ideals of attractiveness and body image. This often results in hypersexualizing themselves for attention.The Power of Algorithms and Virality
Social media platforms are designed to reward engagement, with algorithms pushing content that garners more likes, comments, and shares to a broader audience. This system creates a feedback loop, incentivizing extreme behavior or provocative content in exchange for visibility. For young users, the pursuit of viral fame can lead to participating in inappropriate trends and sexual behaviour.
So, why has buying access to people—whether it's their time, their attention, or their bodies—become so normalized?
At its core, the demand is fueled by a culture that commodifies everything, turning human connection into a transaction. We live in a society where instant gratification and consumption are celebrated. This is reflected in our media, in advertising, and on social platforms that thrive on views, likes, and follows. We've been conditioned to see everything, including people, as products to be consumed.
We must recognize that these trends are not empowering our youth—they’re endangering them. This mindset normalizes the exploitation of young people, increasing their vulnerability to traffickers who see these platforms as hunting grounds. Human traffickers are adept at spotting vulnerabilities. They exploit the insecurities and financial struggles of young people, and they use the illusion of opportunity to lure them deeper into exploitation.
Social Responsibility
What if, instead of focusing on the person being sold, we started paying more attention to the act of buying people? What if we questioned why it’s become so normal to commodify human beings? And what if we challenged ourselves to see people as more than just a price tag?
As a society, we have a responsibility to model and promote healthy boundaries and self-worth that isn’t linked to online validation. We must be the ones to say: your value is inherent, it’s in your character, your kindness, your intelligence.
We need to have open, honest conversations with our youth about self-worth and the impact of social media. By mentoring them and providing positive role models, we can help them see that their value isn’t tied to their online presence or how much they can sell of themselves. Because the most vulnerable among us—our youth—are paying the highest price.
We need to peel back the glamorous facade and talk about the real costs—the emotional, psychological, and even physical tolls of commodifying oneself online. We must teach our kids that their value isn’t tied to their followers, likes, or income from selling content.
By valuing people for their true selves, we can create a culture that stands against exploitation.
Want to know how to have these conversations or what to say?
We’ve made videos to deglamourize platforms like OnlyFans and behaviours such as sugar dating! Visit The Prevention Project and look for grade 8-12 videos!
Video animation for youth on deglamourizing sugar dating, taken from The Prevention Project.
Video animation for youth on deglamourizing OnlyFans, taken from The Prevention Project.
