Family vlogging has been a booming industry for the last decade, impressing millions of viewers who follow these family accounts for intimate perceptions of life with families. But the story of Ruby Franke and her family, featured on her now-defunct YouTube channel *8 Passengers*, is a stark cautionary tale about the dangers of using children to gain online fame. Ruby Franke and her co-defendant Jodi Hildebrandt were convicted on one count of aggravated child abuse; she was given a 30-year prison term. Ruby’s eldest daughter, Shari Franke, publicly denounced the dark underbelly of family vlogging.
The Success of “8 Passengers
Ruby Franke, her husband Kevin, and their six kids started the vlog 8 Passengers* in 2015. It generally described their life and daily activities. Eventually, this channel became extremely popular and reached millions of subscribers for the content of parenting, family adventures, and everyday routines.
In fact, Ruby often introduced herself as a tough but sweet mother to her children and was also sharing many parenting tips and advice. Over time, however, people began raising red flags concerning her style of parenting. Critics indicated how she would often publicly shame her kids or punish them severely in certain cases. Despite such controversy, the channel was one of the most popular family vlogs on YouTube when it suddenly ended.
The Catastrophic Breakdown
Behind the camera, Franke’s household was a far cry from wholesome family life portrayed online. Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, a self-proclaimed parenting expert, were accused of abusive practices that came to light after Ruby’s 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt’s home. The boy was severely malnourished, and had visible wounds and scars from being tied up with rope. Police reports indicated that, when begging at knifepoint for food and water from a neighbor, he demonstrated just how terrible his own crimes and those inflicted on him by others had been. When police searched the home, they found Ruby’s 10-year-old daughter in an identical condition. Both children were hospitalized, and Ruby and Jodi were arrested shortly thereafter.
The parents, Ruby and Jodi, appeared in court and entered a guilty plea to aggravated child abuse. The evidence at trial revealed how Ruby and Jodi used extreme methods to “punish” the children, including tying down the children, refusing food, and smearing cayenne pepper and honey on their open wounds. For aggravated child abuse, Ruby and Jodi received a 30-year prison sentence.
Shari Franke: An Autobiography Survivor’s Experience
Shari Franke, older daughter of Ruby, has not been silent and vociferous about the childhood experience she had under the glare of *8 Passengers*. As an adult, Shari Franke has spoken out about exploitation running amok in family vlogging and long-term psychological effects on children.
During her testimony before Congress. .Shari Franke faults the industry for commodifying children. She cannot imagine an ethical means by which you can monetize the life of a child for online content.
She said that, in fact, most of the time she was bribed to do that with money or presents. She recalled: “This money was usually a bribe,” and said that, for example, they paid her $100 or took her on a shopping spree in exchange for filming embarrassing or emotional moments. One such moment involved the removal of her eyebrow through waxing, an incident that was filmed and placed online despite her distress.
While the monetary compensation helped Shari Franke in her adult life, Shari Franke said that no amount of money could compensate for the invasion of privacy.
Since then, Shari Franke has dedicated herself to fighting against child exploitation in family vlogs. Shari Franke wants the psychological hurt caused by putting children before millions of unknown people on the internet to come to the public and seek stronger regulations that safeguard it.
Lessons from the Shari Franke Case
The terrible Franke family narrative serves as a reminder of the risks and moral quandaries associated with family vlogging. As may be the case with innocently trying to share moments of family time, it turns out to be a trap for making money and gaining fame but at the cost of exploiting their children.
The case puts a serious highlight on the need for better regulations around child influencers. While there are only scant few laws governing children in family vlogs, their compensation and protection remain strictly regulated. Advocates like Shari Franke point to the fact that rights for children must outweigh monetary interests among parents or guardians.