Fortesa Latifi’s Book Named a 2026 Must-Read by The Washington Post
Like, Follow, Subscribe, by the LA-based Albanian-American journalist, publishes April 7 and examines the unregulated world of child influencers — a book every parent in our digital age should read
The list features novels, memoirs, and non-fiction titles, by a range of illustrious authors. Latifi fully deserves the honor of their company. Her book on the phenomenon of children influencers promises to be both educational and thought-provoking, triggering legal, moral, psychological, and technological debates.
“There’s plenty of discussion about the effects of social media’s contents on young children and adolescents. But what about when the kids are the content? In her new book, journalist Latifi investigates the industry of child influencers. She talked to parents who monetize their children’s lives, former child influencers, and psychologists and other experts to paint this alarming picture,” The Washington Post writes about her work.
ON THE BOOK from Simon & Schuster:
A searing investigation into the child influencer industry and the perils of childhood internet fame, Like, Follow, Subscribe is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the costs of internet fame, and the ethics of online content.
What is it like to grow up with a camera in your face 24/7? To have your childhood moments sold as “content” to millions online? What happens when someone who works in a largely unregulated multi-billion-dollar industry sells away their childhood and has no financial safety net as an adult? What does it feel like to have your private moments — your medical diagnoses, your first period, your first break up, your tantrums, potty-training, and breastfeeding-weaning—broadcast to an audience of millions? Like, Follow, Subscribe shines a spotlight on the deeply troubling world of the child influencer industry.
Journalist Fortesa Latifi dives into the lives of children whose parents mine their everyday activities for monetizable content, exposing issues like privacy violations, financial abuse, and the absence of child labor protections. Through expert interviews with psychologists, labor scientists, and even former child influencers and family vloggers, she uncovers the pressures, trauma, and consequences for children thrust into the spotlight.
This timely and eye-opening book doesn’t just reveal the harm of toxic social media culture: it also provides a roadmap to better regulating influencer families, safeguarding children, and questioning the role of audiences in perpetuating these cycles of exploitation.
RAVES & REVIEWS
“Like, Follow, Subscribe is the most comprehensive, empathetic, and readable investigation into the child influencers who now dominate our culture. Timely, worrying, and juicy—the book to read whether you’re a parent, a creator, or merely a viewer.”—Scaachi Koul, author of Sucker Punch
“With rigor and empathy, Latifi probes the many ways influencing has bent our understanding of labor, privacy, performance, consent, and exploitation. An urgent and timely reassessment of social media and technology today, Like, Follow, Subscribe is a powerful, compassionate look at what happens when childhoods go viral, and what we owe children in a world run by algorithms.” —Amanda Montei, author of Touched Out
“Essential reading for anyone navigating the intersection of childhood, parenthood, technology, and profit. Latifi doesn’t just document a trend—she challenges a system.” —Jo Piazza, bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance and We Are Not Like Them
“Incredibly timely and important—an absolute must-read for anyone who is thinking seriously about parenting in the digital age.” —EJ Dickson, senior writer at The Cut
“Like, Follow, Subscribe is one of the most powerful books I’ve read on the social media ecosystem. Latifi’s expert depiction of the influencer landscape is equal parts engrossing, illuminating, and alarming. Highly recommended.”
—Adam Alter, Professor of Marketing and Psychology, New York University Stern School of Business, and New York Times bestselling author of Irresistible
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fortesa Latifi is a journalist based in Los Angeles, California. Her work has been featured in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Teen Vogue among other publications.
You can pre-order the book here.
The publication date is April 7.
