The annals of internet history are littered with cautionary tales from young people who became internet famous.
From “Star Wars Kid” (Ghyslain Raza) to “Overly Attached Girlfriend” (Laina Morris), many viral stars of the early internet did not intend to become memes.
And the unintended attention and even bullying that accompany online celebrity can have a profound—even damaging—impact on a kid’s life.
Yet surveys indicate that many young people still aspire to become internet famous.
So is there a way to achieve viral notoriety without screwing up your kid’s life?
We’ll talk to the internet’s favorite laughing baby, whose infectious giggle owned the world wide web in 2011 after her mom posted a video of the family dog popping bubbles.
The video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnagemulucw ) was seen by tens of millions of people, featured on national television, and yielded significant ad and licensing revenue.
15 years later, little Molly is almost all grown up, and living the happy, normal life of an average teenager, thanks to parents who set the virtual boundaries that allowed that to happen.
And Molly (and her parents) have lessons to share from which we all can learn—whether or not we aspire to be the internet’s next viral star.
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