Sarcouncil Journal of Multidisciplinary

Abstract: Children today are making money through social media in ways that have never been seen before. Kids are creating content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, earning thousands or even millions of dollars. However, current laws are not designed for this kind of work. This exposes young content creators without proper protection and safeguard mechanisms. Building on an interdisciplinary approach, this paper examines existing research on the protection of children working on digital platforms. In doing so, it analyzes current problems, evaluates proposed solutions, and highlights persisting gaps in knowledge. A thorough review of research papers, legal articles, government reports, and policy studies from different fields, including law, child development, and technology, was conducted to identify patterns and themes across these sources. The comprehensive literature review revealed three major findings. First, current federal laws, which were designed in 1938, are inadequate for protecting children who work on digital platforms. Second, while some states are creating new legislation to fill these gaps, enforcement problems persist. Third, implementation challenges continue to undermine the effectiveness of both existing and emerging regulatory frameworks. While experts and researchers have recognized this problem and the need to create solutions, more research is urgently needed to understand how digital work impacts children and whether the new laws actually help protect and safeguard them.