Researchers in the study looked at the top five watched kid influencers on YouTube last year. The influencers were age 3 to 14. The researchers found that in 179 of the 418 videos analyzed—or about 43%--the kid influencers consumed food. Of those videos, 90% featured unhealthy branded food items, which were viewed billions of times.
In the article, concerned observers pointed to the Kids Internet Design and Safety Act as a potential solution. The legislation was introduced in March by a pair of Democratic Senators. It would seek to protect kids from excessive screen time and the impact of influencer marketing. The new legislation would build upon the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.