Over the weekend, North West and her friends met with the biggest musician on TikTok for months, Ice Spice. Like weeks before with Mariah Carey and, her daughter, Monroe Cannon, North participated in viral TikTok dances and adorable impressions by posting the videos on her and her mom’s (Kim Kardashian) shared account. This caused an upset as people claimed it was inappropriate for North, 9, to be lip-syncing and wearing any makeup on TikTok, or singing and dancing to Ice Spice’s In ha mood (the remix) and Boy’s a liar Pt. 2 featuring PinkPanteress.
@kimandnorth ??️
♬ original sound – smokinaftereat
@kimandnorth #duet with @icespicee ♬ Ac r7sheed – rhy ?? ?️
Outrage over specific parenting decisions is a dime a dozen on the internet but there’s a specific kind of “back in my day” grievance that is so detached from the reality of many of our childhoods. Kids mimic adults they admire—this includes dancing and wearing make-up. Additionally, we were all listening and singing to music that was definitely aimed towards adults two and three times our age. These moments just weren’t posted to TikTok or any other online space. (Also, most of us didn’t have very rich parents who could grant us direct access to these musicians.) Just because your moment didn’t have a permanent digital footprint, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
At roughly the same age, my sister and I were behaving this same way with songs like Ciara’s Goodies, Kelis’s Milkshakes, and Christina Milian’s Dip It Low. This was years before we had cable or access to the internet. We didn’t know what the songs were about! It was on the radio and fun to listen to. Three years later, these songs include Ye’s Gold Digger, 50 Cent’s Candy Shop, The Pussycat Dolls’ Don’t Cha, Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl and more. At nine, you’re still putting a basketball under your shirt and saying you’re pregnant. Again, the only difference between then and now is social media. As a young girl growing up online, North will do many silly things, and some she may come to regret. It’s a part of growing up, regardless of who her parents are.
The TikTok of it all
One of the most discussed aspects of this situation beyond what’s too “grown” for kids is her father’s, Ye, disapproval. He’s been very vocal about keeping his kids off social media and away from anything that will “sexualize” them. Because Ye is so loud and wrong so often, it’s easy to dismiss his criticism outright. While there are definitely issues with him invoking sexism, antisemitism, homophobia, and Sinophobia, Ye’s not wrong to take issue with social media itself. Multiple studies, reports, and whistleblowers have outlined how all social media can negatively affect children’s self-image and mental health—especailly girls.
In the past, Kardashian stated she supervises North’s account. In addition to sharing the account, North’s mother locks comments and more. While that won’t fully protect North, it’s the compromise Kardashian has chosen. Parents compromise all the time in an effort to balance protecting their kids and allowing them to develop a sense of independence. It looks a little different for young girls versus young boys when it really shouldn’t.
(featured image: screencap)
