In episode 1 '#momager', Tiffany Smith, Piper Rockelle's mother, is alleged to have been verbally and physically abusive, subjected preteens to long workdays filming over 10 videos a day, and created a chaotic home environment with few rules. Former Squad members and their parents accuse her of exploitation and mistreatment during the height of Piper's YouTube channel popularity.

The key antagonist in episode 1 is Tiffany Smith, Piper Rockelle's mother, portrayed as the controlling 'momager'. Hunter Hill, Tiffany's boyfriend, is also depicted negatively for his role in filming and manipulating content. The survivors are the former members of Piper's Squad, who share harrowing stories of exploitation and abuse under Tiffany's management.

Child influencers in episode 1 experienced grueling working conditions, including filming over 10 videos a day, long work hours, and being part of a shared home environment with little structure or rules. These conditions contributed to allegations of exploitation and abuse by the adults managing them, especially Tiffany Smith.

Episode 1 shows a mixed response from other parents: some stayed with their children through the difficult times of overwork and exploitation, while others, like Ruby Frankie's husband Kevin, are portrayed as neglectful. The series highlights the varying degrees of parental involvement and accountability in the kidfluencing environment.

The series discusses a 2022 lawsuit against Tiffany Smith and Hunter Hill alleging workplace violations, retaliation, and sexual harassment related to the management of the child influencers. The lawsuit was settled in October 2024 for $1.85 million without admission of guilt. Tiffany Smith and Piper Rockelle publicly denied the allegations and declined to comment for the series.