Courtesy of Netflix

The three part documentary “Bad Influence” dives into the dark side of child influencers.

Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Influencing is a three-part Netflix documentary series that dives into the reality behind the world of child influencers. The series centers around a kid star named Piper Rockelle, a teenage YouTuber/Tik Toker, and her kid influencer group known as “The Squad.” Bad Influence touches on the emotional, physical, sexual abuse, and manipulation, that came from Rockelle’s mother and manager, Tiffany Smith, and her business partner/boyfriend, Hunter Hill.

The documentary includes accounts from former Squad members, including Sophie Fergi and Claire RockSmith. Fergi and Rocksmith described a toxic environment, being forced to work long hours without getting paid, inappropriate behavior from Tiffany Smith and Hunter Hill and the manipulation involved. In 2022, former members filed a lawsuit against Smith, resulting in a $1.85 million settlement in 2024. As of 2025 Tiffany Smith has publicly denied the allegations and criticized the documentary for spreading false information.

This three part series really sheds light on the dark side of child influencers and the physical and mental abuse they endure. I started this series one day and ended up finishing it in just 2 days because of how much it captured my attention. Growing up I was Youtube’s biggest fan and would occasionally watch child influencers, like Piper Rockelle. Being naive I didn’t think anything was wrong with the content I was consuming, but as I look back on the videos, I now recognize the blatant exploitation that Piper Rockelle was experiencing.

I thought the documentary was okay overall. It was unfortunate learning about Piper Rockelle’s experiences, but it wasn’t all too surprising considering how common child exploitation in the media industry is. This documentary was informational, which piqued my interest. It really does shed light on a side of this industry that a lot of people don’t see; things such as the pressure, abuse, the skewed relationship between fun and work, and the role that parents or managers play in it. The interviews with the former Squad members were eye opening, and gave me more insight into the ugly truth of being young and in the spotlight.

While I felt like Bad Influence could’ve gone a bit deeper in some areas, and discussed Piper’s experience more in depth it still does a decent job highlighting the effects of children in the social media space and what is needed for them to be protected. If you’re interested in the unknown struggles of child influencers I would recommend this documentary. While it doesn’t answer every question, it opens up an important conversation about fame for children, parental responsibility, and the need for more protection for child celebrities.