The inspiration for Sophie White's latest book, The Snag List, came when one of a modern parent's worst nightmares came to her doorstep: her son asked if he could start his own YouTube channel.
White joined The Jennifer Zamparelli Show to explain how the world of YouTube families – family accounts that create content with their young children – inspired her latest book.
Her book follows three women who strike up a friendship over the snag list for their builder, which leads to them discussing their life snags, what they regret, things they wanted to do but didn't.
One of the women decides to set up a business coaching other women through their regrets, as she herself is "on the run from her career". As the CEO of her son's YouTube channel, she finds herself being both boss and employee to her 11-year-old.
This led Sophie to the phenomenon of YouTuber families, where this dynamic becomes the norm.
"I live in a house with four other people, and then all of these YouTube families", she says. "Those people are the constant background noise of my life because my sons are eight, five and two."
She recalls thinking the videos felt unnerving to her: "These like, peppy dads and kids and they're playing with toys or they're pranking each other. They're just like, vlogging their every moment."
It wasn't long before her son asked if he could start his own YouTube channel. "And my blood ran cold."
"These YouTube families are massive. Some of these channels have 19 million subscribers and they could be taking in six million a year in ads alone." This happens because YouTube put ads on videos, and the creators receive money relative to how many views their videos get.
To listen back to the interview in full, click on the video at the top of the page.
