What looked like a dream life on YouTube was, for Piper Rockelle and the kids in her influencer “Squad,” a toxic, overworked, and manipulated childhood, orchestrated by adults and consumed by millions of unaware young fans like me.
Piper Rockelle became famous as a child YouTuber, drawing in a generation of young viewers with bright thumbnails, silly challenges, and fairy-tale friendships. But beneath the surface was a disturbing world of exploitation, staged relationships, and long filming hours– all under the direction of her mother, Tiffany Rockelle. As documentaries and former Squad members speak out, it’s clear that behind the glitter of kid influencer fame is a much darker reality– one that impacted not just the creators, but the children who idolized them.
In 2019, I was 9 or 10 years old when I discovered Piper Rockelle. Like many kids my age, I was captivated by her videos: the sleepovers, pranks, cute crushes. Her life looked perfect. But what none of us saw was the emotional toll and manipulation happening behind the scenes.
Piper was never enrolled in school, according to her family, and was pushed into pageants and then social media by her mother, Tiffany. They moved from Georgia to Los Angeles and formed a kid version of a content house, where children between 9 and 13 filmed nonstop for each other’s channels. There were no weekends off, no child labor laws protecting them. And over time, the content grew darker: videos leaned into fake romance, kissing booths, and clickbait to go viral.
What’s worse is that these weren’t real relationships. Kids were told to pretend they were dating, to hold hands, kiss, and act like couples, all to feed a story fans would believe. I was one of those fans. I used to think it was cute. But now, as a teenager, I understand how harmful and orchestrated it all was.
Several former Squad members and their parents have spoken out, calling the environment controlling and cult-like. Complaints weren’t tolerated. If a child or parent pushed back, they were excommunicated. YouTube channels were sabotaged, hate campaigns were launched, and some families say their videos were embedded on explicit sites, making them impossible to monetize. Many believe these attacks were coordinated by Tiffany herself.
One of the most disturbing claims is that Tiffany allegedly mailed Piper’s underwear to male fans. One mother recalls Tiffany explaining it by saying, “Old men like to smell them.” Other reports say she forced Piper to interact with a known male stalker who had posed as a girl online. Allegedly, Tiffany knew the person was a predator, and still allowed the contact.
As a former fan, it’s horrifying to realize I once looked up to a life that was never real and that covered so much abuse. Kids like me watched their content thinking it was normal, fun, and even aspirational. But it was harmful, for them and for us.
Piper’s story isn’t just a scandal, it’s a warning. Behind the filters and thumbnails are children who are unprotected, overworked, and manipulated, often by the adults closest to them. As more influencers rise to fame at younger ages, we need real conversations– and real regulations– to make sure no more kids suffer behind the screen of a “perfect” life.
