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TikTok Queen at 16

Duration: 28 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC ScotlandLatest broadcast: on BBC Scotland HD

Available for years

TikTok sensation Kristen Scott has just turned 16, which is a big deal for every teenage girl, but for Kristen it presents a life-changing choice: she is now legally allowed to leave school to pursue her social media influencing career full-time.

Her posts range from silly dances and impressive singing to more serious issues like mental health and body positivity. With a following of 735,000 TikTok followers, she continues to build her social media presence as she balances brand deals and legal contracts with her normal life as a teenager.

Integral to Kristen’s fledgling career is her mum, Elizabeth. Trying to find a balance between protecting her daughter, supporting her and getting pigeon-holed as a ‘momager’, Elizabeth offers an alternative perspective on the impact of having a social media star in the family.

Industry experts Suhit Amin and Aundrea Worsley offer a glimpse into the up-and-coming but lucrative industry of social media marketing, providing a better understanding of what kind of career Kristen could potentially have if she works hard and plays her cards right.

However, it's not all glamour as Kristen is bullied, both online and in-person, for her social media. Does she have thick enough skin to make it as an influencer, or will the hate and pressures make her rethink her choice?

Kristen also openly discusses how lonely this career sometimes is and how Covid-19 has exacerbated this feeling of disconnection. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel as a potential new manager offers her a spot in a Creator House, where she will live with other influencers as they wake up, party and create content.

Is Kristen ready to move away from her supportive parents to dive in the deep end of being a full-time influencer? Is this a viable career for someone who is only 16?

Contributors

Producer:
Penny Cobham
Executive Producer:
Julia Moon

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