Tydus Talbott is a 4-year-old YouTube and Instagram celebrity who makes videos with his family.

He went viral after making a video where he was "Mini Jake Paul," a version of one of YouTube's biggest celebrities.

Once they achieved viral fame, the Talbott family teamed up with 21-year-old Paul. They often make videos together, and they've toured across the country.

But Tydus' celebrity raises questions about whether it's appropriate or healthy for a 4-year-old to be so famous.

One Jake Paul isn't enough.

Meet Tydus Talbott. He's 4 years old, loves eating candy and riding down waterslides, and is already a YouTube star.

How'd that happen? In the past 10 months, Tydus has made nine different videos with Jake Paul, one of YouTube’s biggest celebrities. A single video has 27 million views, among Paul's most popular. The collaboration was so successful, this past spring Team 10, Paul's collective of YouTubers, brought Tydus along to six cities of their 21-city tour, trotting him out on stage in front of thousands of fans.

Branded as Mini Jake Paul, Tydus has used his association with the 21-year-old vlogger to amass a following of his own. His family has more than a million subscribers on YouTube, and just passed that on Instagram— and there's plenty of room to grow. His parents, Travis and Corey Talbott, are planning a merchandising line and are in talks with agencies to represent him.

So how did a child end up stealing every scene in some of Jake Paul's most popular videos, become his miniature doppelgänger, and regularly perform in front of thousands of screaming fans?

And is any of this a good idea for a 4-year-old?

The Talbott family went from home videos to viral skits.

Even as a toddler, Tydus was photogenic and charismatic, his parents told INSIDER.

"He loves being funny," said Tydus' father, Travis. "he's just kind of a naturally funny entertainer and people-pleaser."

Tydus Talbott vlogging as "Mini Jake Paul." Trav and Cor/YouTube

As Travis explained, his son's celebrity built slowly over the years, but his earliest brush with virality came when he was just a year old. His parents posted a video of him snowboarding to YouTube shortly after another video of a snowboarding toddler went viral. Their own video was a modest hit, with tens of thousands of views at the time.

"It got a lot of recognition. Even [Olympic snowboarder] Shaun White saw it," Travis told INSIDER. "So we always knew as he was growing up that he was kind of a special boy."

That first video made fans eager to know more about the Talbott family. So Tydus, his little sister Ryatt, Corey, and Travis continued to vlog together, with some family friends showing them around the YouTube community.

At first, the family made simple home videos, some of which garnered hundreds of thousands or even millions of views on YouTube.

Travis and Corey Talbott in one of their family videos. Trav and Cor/YouTube

But as they continued to use the platform, Corey and Travis became more familiar with the world of YouTube influencers. Their videos became more inventive, like one where Tydus wears a blazer and pretends to be a businessman, and one where he’s left home alone with his father.

That's when they first became acquainted with Jake Paul. Paul, one of YouTube's biggest personalities, has more than 15 million subscribers, and has created a personal empire worth millions based on his on-screen antics, penchant for drama, and savvy merchandising. A quick stroll through Paul's repertoire reveals a litany of prank videos, original songs and raps, and personal vlogs with titles like "I got into a fight with CloutGang at my hotel" and "I made my Lamborghini remote-controlled." Paul is one of the most powerful and influential figures in the new wave of internet celebrity.

The first Mini Jake Paul skit changed everything.

In September 2017, the Talbott family filmed its biggest hit: "3 Year Old JAKE PAUL!! (RARE FOOTAGE)." Just three minutes, the video is cut with the choppy, Adderall-fluent pace familiar to anyone who's seen a Jake Paul vlog. In it, Tydus pretends to be a younger version of the YouTube star, wearing a bright pink tie dye shirt, yellow-tinted aviators, his blonde hair carefully tussled. In the opening seconds, he repeats Jake Paul's signature catchphrase.

"Good morning, Jake Paulers!" he shouts. "I be dabbin' on them haters."

The video continues in this mold, as if it's one of Jake Paul's daily vlogs. Tydus plays with his Jake Paul-styled "merch gun;" throws around slang like "lit;" rides a "blood shark," which is Paul's nickname for his Tesla; chases after a "mini-Erika" — a character based on Paul's girlfriend; and works out in his home gym.

It became the family's most popular video, garnering more than 9 million views.

"Tydus was watching a little bit of Jake Paul ... and I was watching Jake Paul and Logan Paul and I thought what they were doing was so cool and kind of interesting," Travis said. "And I just thought that would be fun to do a little skit of Tydus pretending to be Jake Paul, kind of doing all his famous little things he does in a lot of his videos."

It wasn't long before Paul himself saw the video. He invited the Talbott family to Los Angeles from their home in northern California to make a video where he meets the "Mini Jake Paul."

At first, Travis said, he wasn't totally sold on Paul.

Though Paul's videos were fun to watch, he also knew the YouTuber had a reputation as a mischief-maker and provocateur. In 2017, Paul kicked out female YouTuber Alissa Violet from his house and the Team 10 collective, which escalated into a massive made-for-video feud. He warred with his West Hollywood neighbors over his viral stunts and baselessly accused them of trying to kill him. He also accused Violet's assistant of assault — and then withdrew his remarks after a lawsuit threat. And he made an apparently Islamophobic joke about how a Kazakhstani fan might be a terrorist. Paul's personal credentials are less than stellar: He's a college dropout and made a music video critical of teachers, although he's since walked back on his anti-school stance. (His elder brother, Logan Paul, is even more controversial, in part because in 2017 he filmed a dead body in Japan's "suicide forest" as part of a vlog about the country, criticized by many as racist.)

But after meeting with Paul, Travis changed changed his views. Paul has improved from his wilder days, he said, and his stunts are ultimately harmless.

"For us, when we first met him, we did have our guards up," Travis said. "But knowing him now for about a year, 100% he is a very positive person. Not just for our son but for a lot of kids."

Jake Paul teaching Tydus how to swim in a video. Trav and Cor/YouTube

Paul is kinder than his public persona suggests, Travis said, and has an admirable work ethic.

"There are so many things that Jake and Team 10 does that doesn't get published, doesn't get recognition," Travis said. "He's a really hard worker, really kind to us, very kind to Tydus."

(A representative for Team 10, Paul's collaborative and production organization, declined to make Paul available for comment for this article.)

Jake Paul and Mini Jake Paul started collaborating.

The first video between Tydus and Jake Paul was a smash hit. "MEETING THE MINI JAKE PAUL?!" has more than 26 million views and features Tydus, once again, pretending to be Paul — reeling off his catchphrases, causing trouble in a Walmart, and carrying all the swagger a three-year-old can muster.

During the vlog, Paul and his tiny doppelgänger also made a music video together — for a song called "Mini Jake Paul" — which includes the not-exactly-age-appropriate line "He's an OG / So damn fast, a Lamborghini / He likes his girls in bikinis / He'll poop on you if you mess with me."

"That just blew up," Travis said of their first video. "Jake started to really see that Tydus was something special."

Jake Paul and Tydus in their first video. Jake Paul/YouTube

The video introduced many of Jake Paul's fans to Tydus. From then on, his following grew exponentially. Eden, a 14-year-old Jake Paul fan who lives in Texas, said she started keeping track of Tydus and his family after Paul featured him.

"I think what makes him stand out is the things he does at just four years old," Eden told INSIDER over Instagram direct message. "He understands a whole lot for a 4-year-old and I think this is just the beginning for him."

Like any good producer with a hit on his hands, Jake Paul made sequels with Tydus. The first was a video where Mini Jake Paul met "Mini Erika," referring to Erika Costell, Paul's girlfriend (Jake Paulers call them "Jerika").

It, too, was a hit.

At that point, Tydus became something like the Scrappy Doo to Jake Paul's Scooby Doo: An eccentric and confident smaller version known for showing up in special episodes. Jake Paul got his mini-me a miniature Lamborghini (which Tydus rode around on his own channel), hung out with animals together, fled killer clowns, "lost" Tydus in a Walmart, babysat him, and taught him to swim.

But the collaboration between the Talbotts and Paul didn't end there. Paul, who found fame at 16, allowed Tydus to become an honorary member of the Team 10 family. The Team 10 cadre includes six people and one dog — including Ben Hampton, who started working with Paul (under the supervision of his parents) at just 6 years old.

This summer, the group went on tour, bringing Tydus along for six of their stops. His role was small, but fans loved it. Jake carries out Tydus to his thousands of screaming fans in the audience. It's a sight to behold. Tydus says Jake's trademark line, "Dabbin' on them haters," and they scream even louder.

Eden attended one of the Team 10 events and said meeting Tydus after the concert was a highlight.

"Tydus came over to take some pictures because everyone was waving at him," Eden said. "When I got up to him he said 'hi' and turned himself upside down to take a picture with me. Then right after I met Jake he came up to me to tell me about his new truck."

Joseph, a 12-year-old fan of Tydus from Indiana, said he finds the 4-year-old inspiring.

"He's like 4 years old," Joseph told INSIDER in an Instagram direct message. "He doesn't have to say anything. He is already inspiring by his actions."

The Talbott family says they don’t rely on their son for money.

While the family's vlogs are monetized on YouTube, and they've accepted sponsorships from the health app Lifesum, Travis said they don't rely on their son's YouTube channel for money. And though they’re planning a merchandise line — a straightforward and reliable source of income for many internet celebrities — it's not a priority.

The Talbotts own a "nice boutique hotel" by Lake Tahoe, which Travis renovated from its run-down state before Tydus was born. Most of the day-to-day work is managed by on-site staff while Travis and Corey take reservations and work from home.

In one video, Tydus and his father bought his mom products from Gucci, one of Team 10's favorite brands. Trav and Cor/YouTube

The lodge, as well as other properties owned by Travis, make enough money so that they don't need to use their YouTube channel to pay the bills.

If anything, Travis said, the family's work situation allows the parents to spend more time with their kids. That also means they can vlog more.

"Because we work from home, we're able to travel, we're able to do the vlog life," Travis said. "I don't have, like, a nine-to-five that I have to wake up and go do every day. So it's been a real easy transition into doing this a little more full time now."

Tydus talking to fans after a stage appearance. Trav and Cor/YouTube

Travis argues that the "New Hollywood" system of YouTube-famous children is preferable to the older child star system. Instead of children signing restrictive contracts with movie studios or places like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, parents have more direct control over their children's lives.

"You don't have directors, you don't have other people telling you do this, do that," Travis said. "It's on your own time, which leaves all this extra time for hands-on teaching and taking your kids to their school yourself."

The Talbotts say they’re being careful now that Tydus is a celebrity.

Becoming famous changes people, for better or for worse. When a 4-year-old's involved, there's always the specter of exploitation. Is the life of a famous YouTube vlogger appropriate for a kid?

Take, for example, Lil Tay.

She's a 9-year-old Instagram and YouTube star with an even bigger internet presence than Tydus. A former Jake Paul collaborator herself, her brand was built on trash-talking other internet celebrities, as well as "flexing" luxury status symbols like expensive cars and houses. But it all came crashing down after a video leaked of her brother apparently feeding her lines, raising questions about her parents' care.

Jake Paul and Lil Tay in the music video for "My Teachers," a diss track about teachers. Jake Paul/YouTube

Lil Tay's management team hasn't responded to multiple requests for comment.

Travis Talbott said he is "not a fan" of Lil Tay, and sees her situation to be different from his son's. She's an invented character, he said, while his videos with Tydus are authentic representations of the Talbott family.

"It's just a very odd character that her brother and her mother, or maybe just her brother, have developed," he said. "She doesn't vlog, she doesn't show her real life more. All you see is Lil Tay, this character that her brother has created."

In one video, Tydus is set up with a "girlfriend." Jake Paul/YouTube

Both the Talbott parents graduated from college, and say they prioritize education. Tydus attends preschool twice a week right now, and is otherwise home-schooled.

"We are able to do a lot of teaching and stuff [at home] that people don't really see," Travis said. "It's not really something that anyone really wants to watch. We keep our vlog kind of fun and interesting so that people continue to watch, but as far as behind the scenes, schooling is super important to us."

Starting in the fall, Corey said, they're developing a homeschooling plan based on their travel schedule.

But the idea of a 4-year-old being famous on social media is controversial.

Travis and Corey don’t see their son as someone who’s performing in front of a crowd. He’s a child who’s having fun. Whether he's acting as Mini Jake Paul or in family videos, he's just being himself, they say — like he'd be without a camera around.

"Tydus really is just himself," Corey Talbott said. "He's just this natural kid and he is a very smart little boy. We call him magic."

Given that social media is a relatively new frontier, published research about the psychological effects it has on children is fairly scant. There aren’t yet any studies about how being a YouTube influencer affects a child’s brain. But the Talbotts say they’re taking care to be responsible, and they've "gone to great lengths to surround Tydus, and our family, with trusted experts and advisors" to protect him.

Tydus and his mother, Corey, playing with makeup. Trav and Cor/YouTube

Psychologists have often written about the potentially harmful effects of fame on children. Tovah Klein, the author of "How Toddlers Thrive" and a child psychologist who leads the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development, told INSIDER children Tydus' age are at crucial point for development of the “self-concept,” meaning a solid sense of who they are. When a child is being told that they're loved and appreciated for being adorable on social media, she argues, they can't build their own sense of self.

Klein is skeptical that any form of celebrity can be good for a child.

"What happens when the audience goes away?” Klein told INSIDER. “What happens when the child is left to its own devices without an adoring audience? There's nothing there."

Tydus' sense of self, Klein said, is being cultivated by his parents behind the camera. They introduced him to feedback in the form of likes, comments, and subscribers by thousands of people looking at him on their screens, as well as fans he meets on the road.

Tydus on stage at a Team 10 concert in front of screaming fans. Trav and Cor/YouTube

The message Tydus receives, Klein said, is that he’ll be loved and appreciated as long as he gets other people to adore him. He is like a child who competes in beauty pageants, she said, but with a greater audience and potentially greater crash.

"It says your life is a performance," Klein said. "As opposed to [wondering], 'How do I figure out who I am? What do I like, what don't I like? What makes me happy, what upsets me?' ... You're missing this part that says who am I for me?"

Tydus Talbott taking a photo with fans before an event. Trav and Cor/YouTube

In an emailed joint statement, Travis and Corey Talbott said they respect Klein's work as a child psychologist, but argued it would be impossible to make a professional assessment about Tydus without meeting him. They insist that Tydus isn’t performing for an audience, but is being himself.

"We understand her views are more of a generalization and certainly can't represent Tydus' specific circumstances since none of us have ever met or spoken," they said. "That said, the points she raises are important for us all to consider and be mindful of."

The question remains: Does Tydus know what he’s getting into?

At 4 four years old, a child can't consent to having a public life in the same way an adult can. And Klein doubts whether a child Tydus' age can understand what this level of fame might mean to him later in life. But the implications are potentially dangerous, she said.

"I wouldn't say that a toddler — whether he's 2 or 4 or even 6 years old — has a choice," she said. "You're doing it at a very developmentally fragile time of your life rather than saying, 'If he's really that great, when he grows up, if he wants to act we'll give him a chance to act.'"

In their emailed statement, Travis and Corey Talbott said that Tydus loves making other people happy, and that's part of his "remarkable spirit."

“Tydus will continue to be surrounded by love, respect, mindfulness, and a support system of loving adults as we collectively help him along his own journey,” they said. “[It’s important] for us to protect him, while allowing him to grow and express himself in a healthy way.”

Tydus taking a photo of fans on the Team 10 tour. @minijakepaul/Instagram

I tried asking Tydus himself, over the phone, how his life has changed since he became a celebrity. But it's difficult to interview a 4-year-old. His parents rephrased my question for me.

"So, buddy, what's different now that everyone knows you and likes your videos?" Travis asked him. "When you see fans and stuff, what's that like?"

"They scream," Tydus said.

Travis followed up with more questions, phrased so they'd elicit a yes-or-no answer.

"Do you like it?" Travis asked. "Giving them hugs and high-fives?"

"Yeah," Tydus said.

"Do you like that people always tell you they watch your videos?" Travis asked.

"Yeah," Tydus said. "I love it."