Israeli Family Navigates Fame and Privacy on Social Media
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
The Tarasov family, prominent Israeli social media personalities, are navigating the complexities of fame, privacy, and content creation. Mother Moran Tarsubov manages the family's online presence, sharing personal vlogs and produced videos, while striving to protect her children, Emma, Milo, and Rio, from online dangers. The family moved to a kibbutz seeking more privacy due to intense public recognition in the city. They balance their public careers with maintaining a semblance of normal childhood for the children, often traveling abroad to escape constant scrutiny.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- The Tarasov family, popular Israeli social media stars, balance public life with maintaining privacy.
- Mother Moran Tarsubov manages her children Emma, Milo, and Rio's online content.
- The family moved to a kibbutz to escape intense public recognition and seek privacy.
- Online safety and parental supervision are key concerns for the Tarasov family.
- The family strives to provide a normal childhood for their children despite their fame.
- They have faced criticism for content, leading to the removal of some videos.
Moran Tarsubov, once a makeup artist, has become the driving force behind the Tarasov family's significant online presence in Israel. What began in 2011, a time when YouTube was nascent and smartphones were not ubiquitous, has evolved into a family brand. Tarsubov recalls being considered an oddity for vlogging, a term many didn't understand then, contrasting it with today's landscape where even young children create content.
The Tarasov family, including parents Moran and Joseph, and their children Emma (12), Milo (10), and Rio (6), share both personal vlogs and professionally produced videos. As Emma approaches adolescence, Tarsubov notes her growing independence in decisions like clothing choices and social life, impacting their content creation. While Emma still participates willingly, she now has more say in how her lines are delivered, a flexibility the parents embrace.
Concerns about online safety are paramount for Tarsubov. She actively manages her children's accounts, noting that while YouTube has robust child protection mechanisms, other platforms like TikTok pose greater risks. She recounts an instance where Emma's TikTok account, managed by a parent and with 20,000 followers, was blocked after being reported for being underage, despite clear parental oversight. Tarsubov emphasizes the need for parental supervision, citing an example of an 11-year-old girl receiving disturbing comments on a swimsuit video.
Seeking a quieter life, the family moved from Rishon LeZion to a private home in a kibbutz three years ago. The constant public recognition in the city, where fans approach them in supermarkets and malls, eroded their privacy. Tarsubov describes extreme instances of lost privacy, such as being approached in public restrooms or asked for video calls while with a sick child, highlighting the pressure to remain agreeable lest they face online backlash.
Despite the challenges, Tarsubov asserts her children are not "regular kids" in the sense of experiencing a normal childhood, as fame has been their reality since birth. She differentiates their situation from child stars who experience a stark before-and-after. The family strives to maintain a semblance of normalcy with school, friends, and extracurricular activities, balancing this with their public personas. They often travel abroad for vacations to escape the intense scrutiny they face in Israel, where even a simple hotel stay can feel like a public performance.
The family has also faced criticism for their content. A detective mystery video on Milo's channel, intended to be fictional, caused fear among young viewers, leading to its removal. Tarsubov acknowledges the difficulty of deleting weeks of production and significant expense, but stresses the importance of taking responsibility and listening to their audience. She also shared an instance of posting a video of Rio hospitalized, which drew criticism but she defended as a shared experience with value.