Tragedy Ignites Debate on Influencer Sharing, Child Privacy, and Online Reactions

Social media influencer child death — Emilie Kiser Documents ‘Joys of Being a Mother’ in Post Before Son’s Death, Photo by People.com, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

A recent tragedy involving the death of a young child of a prominent social media influencer has sharply refocused attention on the complex and often volatile intersection of family life shared publicly online and the intense scrutiny and reaction that can follow such exposure.

On a Sunday, three-year-old Trigg Kiser died following a drowning incident in Chandler, Arizona. Authorities responded to a call and found the boy unconscious after he had been pulled from a pool. The child was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

The circumstances surrounding the drowning remain under investigation. Sonu Wasu, a Chandler Police spokesperson, issued a statement saying, “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the child’s family and loved ones during this unimaginable time.”

Trigg was identified as the son of Emilie Kiser, a 26-year-old Arizona-based beauty influencer. Kiser has a substantial online following, with 3.6 million followers on TikTok and 1.4 million on Instagram. Neither Kiser nor her representatives have issued a public statement regarding the incident.

When local news outlets reported on the drowning on May 12, showing the outside of the house where it occurred, viewers quickly recognized it as belonging to Kiser. This recognition triggered an immediate and widespread reaction across social media platforms, particularly TikTok.

Almost instantaneously, the platform was inundated with speculation and rumors that the boy who had drowned was Kiser’s son. People posted videos comparing news footage to publicly available Zillow listings of Kiser’s house, asserting that the location confirmed their suspicions.

Tearful videos were shared by creators praying for Trigg’s well-being. Others intensified their online ‘investigative’ efforts to definitively prove that Trigg was the child involved. Users also noted that Kiser and many of her close friends, who are also influencers, had not posted online for several days.

Kiser is known within the online sphere as one of the most popular mom creators on TikTok. Through her content, she has invited millions of followers into the daily life of her family.

Trigg was a regular fixture in Kiser’s videos. Emilie frequently shared footage of mundane daily activities, such as getting the young boy ready for the day, playing with him, or putting him down for a nap. This consistent portrayal fostered a sense of familiarity among her viewers.

Through these daily vlogs, viewers developed a feeling that they knew her and, more significantly, felt an emotional connection to her and her children. This phenomenon is characteristic of parasocial relationships, which are defined as the one-way bonds fans form with celebrities or influencers.

Jess Rauchberg, an assistant professor of communication technologies at Seton Hall University, described the particular intensity of the bonds viewers form with mom creators. She noted, “She’s walking you through her life. It’s super intimate. It feels like you’re spending the morning with your best friend.”

On Monday, news reports confirmed that Trigg had died. This confirmation led to a renewed surge of online activity, including immediate efforts by online users to verify the death.

Users reportedly dug for proof, going as far as posting screenshots purportedly from the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner confirming the boy’s death. Brandon Harris, a professor who studies parasocial relationships, commented on this intense public interest.

Content creators public figures — Emilie Kiser Blocks Son’s Death Records From Going Public — For Now, Photo by Rolling Stone, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Harris stated, “For better or worse, these content creators are public figures and celebrities at this point.” He added, “We can debate the limit of what the expectation of privacy should be but they have primarily made their wealth by making their lives accessible to other people.”

Harris observed that fans appeared to expect continued access to information about the family, even in the wake of a tragedy. The confirmation of the death also triggered a widespread outpouring of grief across social media platforms.

Viewers and fans shared their struggles to process the death of a child with whom they felt a parasocial bond. Their videos and captions frequently lamented having watched Trigg grow up online before his death.

Kiser family — Police launch investigation into death of influencer Emilie Kiser’s 3-year-old son – TechBreak, Photo by TechBreak, is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Some creators posted videos showing themselves sobbing on camera. One video, reportedly viewed hundreds of thousands of times, offered the Kiser family a place to stay if they wished to leave Arizona. Another online account, which has since been deleted, reportedly impersonated Emilie Kiser, posting a tribute to her late son.

Jess Rauchberg further commented on the impact of social media in such situations. She explained, “Social media collapses the distance between viewers and the person on the other side of the screen.”

Rauchberg added, “The tragedy becomes so much more than just a family’s grief or a community’s grief when millions of people are now grieving with you.” She cautioned, “And that’s not always a good thing. We don’t actually know this family.”

Alongside expressions of grief, a significant portion of online reactions involved creators and commenters levying blame and accusations against the child’s parents. They insisted that Emilie and her husband, Brady, should face charges of child neglect.

An unsubstantiated rumor that Emilie had refused to install a pool fence for aesthetic reasons was frequently repeated and circulated. Some online users reportedly zoomed into old videos posted by Kiser, attempting to find evidence of whether safety measures were in place.

Users also analyzed content to determine Kiser’s location at the time the drowning occurred, debating whether she had been home or out, and attempting to assign fault to either her or her husband. In one video reportedly viewed over 200,000 times, a creator identified as @neurodivergent_nate stated, “this is parental neglect. You’re the parent and you need to be protecting them. And you failed.”

Online videos addressing the Kiser family tragedy largely fell into two distinct categories: those expressing grief for Trigg and those blaming his parents for his death. The intensity and nature of these reactions have prompted reflection among those who study online behavior.