Social media takes the grand prize again. This time a video about a nine-year-old rapper who cannot read has gone viral. The Internet is divided, with some happy that the boy is rapping about sexual acts and running from the police, while others are wondering why his parents have allowed such behavior.

The nine-year-old boy goes by Lil RT and has amassed 38.7K followers on Instagram. In his latest hit called “60 Miles,” he raps about luxurious cars, shooting someone, and having inappropriate acts performed on him. The lyrics are too scandalous to quote. In an Instagram post, we can see Lil RT grabbing a paper from a bucket followed by him saying: “What does this say? I am only nine.”

Many are wondering where this boy’s parents are, but it seems as if his mother is encouraging the boy’s behavior and even giggling when her son says he can’t read. Why?

Social media has turned people into addicts who desperately look for their next dopamine hit and don’t care where it comes from or how they get it. Who cares if your nine-year-old son can’t read? At least he has a big following on social media and a promising rap career.

Parents using their children for clicks and likes is an unfortunate trend that has captivated our culture. It’s trendy to have a child who raps like he’s a felon or to have a trans or nonbinary child as long as it’s content worthy. Maybe the parents don’t know that this could bring hardships upon their children as they grow. What’s worse is that maybe parents do know; they just don’t care.

We know that children put in such a spotlight at a young age don’t fare well. There are examples of this in the entertainment industry. Britney Spears, Amanda Bynes, Lindsay Lohan — these young women were talented in their youth, but the demands of their roles as child stars brought them to mental breakdowns in their adult lives. Parents using their children to create social media content is new, and the effects of this phenomenon may still be a mystery.

Children are to be nurtured and protected by the people who have the most vested interest in them — the parents. If their parents do not play the role as their nurturer and protector, children grow into adults who cannot create or maintain relationships with others. It is concerning to see a nine-year-old-boy who cannot read. It is concerning to see toddlers whose identities are being questioned before their brains are fully formed. Children who cannot read or who are confused about who they are become frustrated and angry adults, and frustrated and angry adults who do not know how to form relationships can be very dangerous.

Our country needs to reflect on how we are raising children. Maybe this involves the government; hopefully it doesn’t. What it does involve is a massive shift in how our culture views children and what our country finds as acceptable parenting.