So Your Kid Encountered ‘Bop House’ Content on Social Media—Here’s How to Talk to Them About It

At every stage of parenthood, there are new challenges to face, but one of the most daunting is probably the stage in which kids begin to use the internet—combine that with the age when they are ready to explore their sexual orientation and physical intimacy, and parents might find that being well-informed about the media they consume becomes all the more important. 

There’s just so much content out there for kids to grasp in an instant, that it can feel overwhelming to regulate what they see, even with parental controls—particularly because they might want to watch content you’re trying to protect them from at a friend’s house or at school. 

Part of raising a kid is knowing you can’t (and shouldn’t!) watch them 24/7 and accepting that some of what they are interested in will challenge your values. But sometimes social media serves up content that completely crosses the line, no matter how open-minded you might be as a parent.

Social Media Content Is Getting Better at Appealing to Young People—and Getting More Explicit

Now that content creators on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have gotten very savvy at appealing directly to young audiences, there’s even more of a chance your tween or teen will encounter content that is simply not age-appropriate.  

At the top of the list are creators who produce adult or otherwise mature or explicit content. One example of this type of line-crossing content comes from a group called The Bop House, a collective that uses its presence on TikTok and Instagram as a funnel to attract audiences to pornographic content on OnlyFans. 

Here’s what you need to know about The Bop House and how to talk to your kids about this type of content if they do happen to encounter it online.

What is The Bop House?

Like a Gen-Z Playboy Mansion, The Bop House is a content creator collective founded by 20-year-old Sophie Rain and 23-year-old Aishah Sofey that houses 8 girls ages 19 to 25 who have garnered huge followings on social media, mainly for their work on OnlyFans. 

If you’re not familiar, OnlyFans is a content subscription platform that caters to adult performers who post pornographic content that can range from pictures of their feet, to videos of graphic sexual acts.

Meanwhile, the term ‘Bop’ is a Gen-Z slang acronym that stands for ‘baddie on point,’ a term which refers to someone who uses their body or sexuality for material gain. The Bop House residents, collectively, claim to make millions of dollars a year on Only Fans.

Why Is Important for Parents to Be Aware of Bop House Content

On most social media platforms, The Bop House’s content is relatively benign, usually taking the form of TikTok dances and games or an inside look at special events, like their private jet trip to the Super Bowl. The issue is that social media sites like TikTok and Instagram function as a funnel to push viewers to The Bop House’s content on OnlyFans.

And even though their TikTok and Instagram content is typically more PG in nature, criticism of their social media presence says it glorifies pornography among young viewers, or might encourage young women in particular to join OnlyFans to make money, instead of pursuing college or a career. 

Bop House content can influence vulnerable young minds

Notably, about 25% of TikTok’s users worldwide are between the ages of 10 and 19, and The Bop House girls themselves range in age from 19 to 25. Young female viewers may see OnlyFans as a quick way to get rich and gain online notoriety, the highest prize for most young adults these days, and they might not yet be mature enough to truly process the consequences of posting explicit photos of themselves online for anyone to purchase—even if it does hold the promise of a high payout.   

OnlyFans creators can be deceptive about what a realistic income from the platform will be

And in terms of that payout, the truth is much less glamorous than what The Bop House claims — the average OnlyFans creator makes about $180 per month (about $140 after taxes), amounting to around $2000 per year—nowhere near the six digit figures that some Bop House creators claim to take home. In reality, it can be extremely difficult to break through to that level of ‘success’ on OnlyFans where the top 1% of creators earn 33% of the income and the top 10% of the creators earn 73% of the income.

How to Talk About The Bop House And Other Mature Content With Your Kids

If your kids happen to scroll past content from The Bop House or one of its content creators, take the opportunity to connect with them. Ask them what they thought about it, and explain to them that the internet has a wide variety of content — some is wholesome, educational, or creative, while some content can be mean, gross, or exploitative—while even more content exists solely as a means of financial gain for the creator. 

Be clear that some social media content is only appropriate for adults

You can also share that some content online is meant for adult viewers, and that some of it may include videos or pictures of naked people. If it’s appropriate for your child’s age or stage of development, you may use this opportunity to start or continue a discussion about sex and pornography—what it depicts and how it can be problematic—and to ask, as uncomfortable as it might be, if they have started thinking about sex. 

Explain that some creators manipulate content to draw in more viewers

Be clear with them that yes, it’s possible that the person in the video is being exploited; but what’s more likely is that the person watching is being exploited, either to buy something or to engage with more content. Avoid the urge to frame this type of content as taboo or to embarrass your child for looking at it, a strategy that will likely backfire, pushing them farther away from you and signaling that you are not a safe person to confide in. 

You may also want to address that the girls who live in The Bop House make this type of content consensually, without body shaming them or casting judgement on their decision to take part in sex work. Remind them that it’s their choice to do what they want with their bodies. Regardless of the “why,” emphasize that it’s still inappropriate for teens under 18 to view. 

Keep the door open for future (judgement-free) conversations

Most importantly, let your child know that they can always talk to you about any content they find online without getting in trouble. Take an active interest in the content your child views online so that having conversations about the digital world together feels normal. Ask questions about what kind of content they watch the most and why, and keep the conversation going as your child’s digital usage evolves.

How to Monitor Your Kids’ Social Media Content

According to research performed by the United States Surgeon General in 2023, 95% of teens and 40% of children ages 8-12 are on social media. Social media is extremely attractive to kids who want to connect with their peers by watching them create content on these platforms; it also gives them a shared language with their peers at school who might be watching the same videos. But before your child ever clicks their first ‘like,’ you should be talking with them about not just how often they should use social media, but how it might affect their emotional state and inform their worldview, for better or worse. 

Collaborate on screen time limits that are age-appropriate

Work together as a family to create a digital plan that outlines how much time your child spends online per day. Use the controls offered by your specific operating system to monitor and restrict where your children spends their time online so that it aligns with your values. 

You can also use third-party monitoring systems, like Bark or Family Time. But don’t just assume technology will take care of the issue. Include your child in strategies to manage how they use social media, so that they feel more like you are collaborating rather than controlling them—you want to leave the door open for any questions that might arise out of their social media use. 

You can set time limits for each app on their device and use other parental controls to see what your kids watch and click on on their devices to make sure they are staying within the limits you’ve set. 

If they’re old enough to use the internet, they’re old enough to understand that the limits you put in place together exist to keep them safe.