What do I say when my child wants a haul video ‘like influencers’? 

Parenting Perspective 

When a child or teenager says they want to make a haul video, it can spark mixed emotions in a parent. A haul video looks harmless, but beneath it often lies a desire for attention, validation, and belonging. Influencers make it seem like success. Yet what they cannot see is the commercial system underneath a cycle that equates worth with things owned. Your role as a parent is to guide this curiosity without shame, transforming it into creativity and gratitude instead of comparison. 

Understanding and Redirecting Motives 

Begin with curiosity, not criticism. Ask what draws them to haul videos: is it the filming, the products, or the audience reactions? You might say, ‘Tell me what you enjoy most about those videos.’ This moves the conversation from confrontation to exploration. Many children are not chasing greed but a sense of visibility to the feeling of being noticed and appreciated. 

You can affirm their interest without approving every behaviour: ‘It is fun to share things you like that shows confidence.’ This validation calms defensiveness. Then gently add, ‘Let us think about what kind of sharing brings goodness, not waste.’ Help your child see that most influencers receive free products or sponsorships, and their ‘authenticity’ is often managed by marketing contracts. You can explain, ‘It may look like they are just showing what they bought, but companies often pay for that exposure. It is a business, not friendship.’ Frame this as media literacy, not moral scolding. 

Creating Alternatives and Setting Intention 

Suggest that if your child truly enjoys sharing, they could create content that celebrates gratitude or usefulness rather than excess. For example, they could film a short clip about creative reuse of old clothes, a ‘what I donated this month’ post instead of a haul, or a comparison between needs and wants to encourage reflection. These alternatives let them express themselves while practising moderation and purpose. 

Parents should introduce the ‘intent question.’ Before recording or posting anything, encourage your child to pause and ask: ‘Why am I sharing this to inspire, to help, or just to impress?’ This single moment of self-awareness trains the conscience. You could even make it a family media motto: ‘Post to uplift, not to outshine.” 

Parent Script: ‘I like that you want to make videos it shows creativity. Let us plan one that feels real and brings good, not just stuff.’ 

Spiritual Insight 

Material display has always tested human humility. The desire to show possessions and receive praise is as old as wealth itself. Islam does not ban beauty or enjoyment — it asks for niyyah (intention) and hikmah (balance). The faith distinguishes between sharing joy and seeking superiority. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hadid (57), Verse 20: 

‘Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children. Like the example of rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris…’ 

This verse reveals the cycle of worldly display thrilling for a moment, fleeting thereafter. Explaining this verse can help your child see that social media fame is not evil but fragile. What glitters online fades quickly; what endures is sincerity and gratitude. 

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4184, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Modesty is part of faith, and faith will be in Paradise. Obscenity in speech is part of harshness and harshness will be in Hell.’ 

This Hadith reminds us that showing modesty even in online presence safeguards faith. You can discuss with your child how modesty today also means resisting the urge to over-share. Encourage your child to see online sharing as Amanah a trust. Ask, ‘Would I feel at ease if the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saw this video?’ This question gently ties digital behaviour to spiritual conscience, without fear or shame. The influence that comes from humility, kindness, and truth will always outlast the fame that comes from consumption.