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🇳🇵 Nepal /Culture & Society

Viral fame, invisible costs for children

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A viral video of three schoolgirls walking in the rain in rural Nepal has sparked concerns over the exploitation of children's images for online engagement and commercial gain.
  • Content creators and companies have used the girls' likeness in follow-up videos and promotional campaigns without adequate consideration for their privacy and safety.
  • Child rights advocates warn that such exposure poses risks to children's physical security and well-being, highlighting a broader issue of digital exploitation.

A quiet moment of three schoolgirls walking along a muddy mountain trail in rural Rolpa, Nepal, has unexpectedly gone viral, capturing global attention on social media. The widely shared video shows the children, unaware of the growing interest, continuing their journey through the rain.

Hello friends...

— Unidentified person filmingThe person filming the original viral video repeatedly calls out to the girls, who appear unaware of the attention.

However, the viral fame has quickly shifted from the girls' everyday experience to a race for online popularity. Nepali internet users and content creators located the children and their families, leading to follow-up videos where creators directed the girls to recreate the moment for the camera. Some creators even posted photos portraying themselves as philanthropists distributing school supplies, funded by Facebook earnings.

How were you walking?

— Bhuwan ThapaA Facebook user who filmed the girls at their home instructs them to recreate their walk for the camera.

The rush to capitalize on the viral moment extended beyond individual creators. Nepal Telecom used an illustration of the girls in a promotional campaign, and the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office incorporated the clip into a road safety video, showing clear images of the children's faces.

Reaching the home of the Rolpa girls who walked in the pouring rain

— Bhuwan ThapaThe title of a Facebook video posted by a user who filmed the girls at their home.

Child rights advocates are raising alarms about this trend, pointing out the increasing use of children's images for publicity and commercial benefit without adequate consideration for their privacy and safety. They warn that publicly revealing details about children's locations and daily routines can create physical security risks, exposing them to potential harm.

Hello friends!!

— Nepal TelecomThe caption used in a promotional campaign by Nepal Telecom featuring an illustration of the viral video's subjects.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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