Parents And The New Online Mickey Mouse Club

Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Keri Russell, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling — all came from the Mickey Mouse Club. The long-running American variety TV show that started in the 1950s and ran until 1996 was what shot them to fame. Now, it's social media and platforms like Musical.ly, YouNow, YouTube and Instagram that put children into the spotlight and turn them into internet celebrities.

Still, it's not the new child stars that the Atlantic focuses on. Instead, this light but compelling article concentrates on their parents. Astounded and confused by their child's fame at first, many end up managing their kid's online careers.

"Parenting these young internet stars (...) is not easy. As social platforms rise and fall, moms and dads across the country with zero experience in the entertainment industry are seeing their families’ lives transformed," writes the Atlantic.

Running away from the hordes of fans, avoiding sham managers, keeping track of social media trends and controlling their kids' finances are only some of the issues parents of online child celebrities grapple with, as pointed out by the Atlantic. Unsurprisingly, we also learn that parents and their kids often have differing views on any of the above. 

But as you read through the article, you will notice that the familiar and universal quest for fame shared by parents and children alike somehow outruns the generation gap. In fact, as the Atlantic points out, some of the parents end up taking a bit of spotlight for themselves. At the end of the day, no matter the technology — whether it's tv or internet — there will always be people hungry for stardom.

Oh and by the way: good old "Uncle Disney" keeps his hand on the pulse, recently reviving The Mickey Mouse Club on social media.