I’ve said it before - this is the seedy underbelly of social media.
Healthy people can look at someone’s vacation snaps or graduation photos and applaud, comment or merely scroll onward.
The already-insecure and neurotic cannot stand to be left out (as they see it). They must be ‘special’ in some way and if they are un-special they lost the plot. But dumpy divorcees and single moms usually aren’t all that special - quite the opposite.
As you say, the next in line for the madness are the poor kids. Still eager to please and finely attuned to suggestion, nuance, conditioning, etc. they will take on this bizarre role.
A smack on the arm is red for 10 min. Destroying a child’s mind - and even his/her anatomy and endocrine system - is abuse that will last a lifetime.
BTTT.