Jenna Peccia
According to The Washington Post, the 8 Passengers Youtube channel had more than 2.5 million subscribers at its peak, with daily vlogs documenting the life of mom, Ruby Franke and her six children. For many years, the family shared personal moments, including emotional punishments and strict parenting, all under the watch of eyes of millions of viewers. In August 2023, Ruby Franke was arrested on multiple felonies of child abuse charges after one of her children escaped and found help. Jodi’s business partner, Jodi Hildenbrant, was also taken into custody during this time. The case sparked widespread backlash and raised serious concerns about the lack of legal protection for children featured in monetized family content.
A look at 8 Passengers Youtube Channel (Photo from The Catalyst)
Before its shutdown, 8 Passengers was one of the most watched family vlog channels on Youtube, highlighting the fine line between documenting childhood and exploiting it for views.
The 8 Passengers case swept the nation during the summer of 2023. The hashtag #8Passengers is tagged on about 34.9k TikTok posts and has generated millions of views. Hulu presented a documentary called Devil in the Family: The fall of Ruby Franke, which explores the case in-depth.
Ruby Franke’s son in an ambulance after escaping (Photo from FOX9)
While looking at Ruby Franke’s case and the thousands of other cases throughout the United States, why are only popular social media influencers getting media coverage and documentaries to share their stories? Is it due to their popularity or was it just a very specific case that caught the eye of news reporters?
According to NBC News, although the Franke’s are not A-list celebrities, the case became popular when her followers became curious to witness the downfall of their once favorite Youtube star.
Shouldn’t there be laws in order to protect these children?
According to AP News, Utah added protection for Child Influencers following Franke’s child abuse conviction. The law now states that online creators who make over $150,000 per year from content featuring their children, will be required to set aside 15% of that into a trust fund in order for the kids to access it when they turn 18.
Additionally, Desert News reports that once children turn 18 years old they now have the right to request deletion of their content. This is a significant step forward giving them control over their digital footprint.
Is the Franke family the only family to experience child abuse?
Unfortunately no, Komo News shared a troubling rise in child tourture cases in Utah. According to the CDC, 1,820 children have died from child abuse and neglect nationwide in the year 2021. In 2022, a disturbing trend that highlights a broader issue far beyond influencer fame.
The National Library of Medicine shared a study that shows the Impact of News Media on Child Abuse Reporting. The results shared that child abuse cases reports as well as news coverage increased. Yet, rather than the media stories increasing mandated reports therefore showing a rise in reported cases.
How can we better share these stories on social media and in the news?
The media has faced growing criticism over how it covers child abuse- especially when it happens behind the camera of a “family-friendly” Youtube channel. In cases like 8 Passengers, where there were warning signs for years. Viewers watched Ruby Franke discipline her children harshly on camera, but many dismissed it as strict parenting or even entertainment.
Imagine if the red flags had been treated as real concerns earlier on. Greater media attention, critical reporting, and accountability from social media platforms like Youtube could have let to earlier intervention. These children may have been protected sooner.
Abuse doesn’t stop being abuse just because it’s happening in front of a ring light.