My very own chatterbox

My little boy. He loves playing computer games. And which child doesn't? He's keen on getting to 13 so he can have his very own YouTube channel. This current social media culture of "Likes" and "Followings" does mess with their little heads.

I do have my giggles when I watch him play, sharing his screen with his mates, to walk them through his games. He really is a character. I sometimes think his friends are only being nice - and that they often have him on mute - only to keep him happy.

This is making such an impact on him that he cannot stop doing it. He is a very bright cookie, loves to show off his knowledge, but I also sometimes feel his friends' circle cannot keep up. He loves having discussions about how he found ways to cheat the game and the mods he's found to assist his achievements. And he doesn' t like to lose.

He watches other YouTubers walkthroughs of the games he plays to learn more. We have to keep reminding him that although it's ok to watch them, the best way to understand the game is to actually play it, even if you have to lose a few times.

At dinner time he will update us on his latest and if we discuss any current world issues, he loves to chip in with his thoughts and asks loads of questions. As he is quite an avid reader as well - not on the games topic - his curiosity mode is always on. He's a big fan of Rick Riordan's work.

If he's not on a call with his mates, he will be talking himself through the game as if someone is listening. None of the other video consoles is social enough for him. If he plays on them, he will prefer that either someone plays with him or watches him playing.

I don't know if being a YouTuber is now a new optional answer for the question: "What would you like to be when you grow up?" because it seems to be more and more common nowadays to find kids having their YouTube channels or even being dragged by their families to participate, as it seems to be a very lucrative business.

I wonder where it legally sits in regard to child protection, more specifically concerning child exploitation for the ones that are pushed to become YouTubers? It must be a difficult matter to deal with, given that the children enjoy it and it's not like it falls into the categories of hazardous work or heavy lifting…