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The transition from childhood to adolescence is often marked by a series of boundary-pushing maneuvers, but for one mother, the line was crossed when her thirteen-year-old son decided that a small amount of internet fame made him exempt from the rules of the household. Most adults understand that the “real world” is a place of relentless overhead costs, where electricity, shelter, and sustenance are earned through labor and responsibility. To a child, however, these essentials can appear to be as natural and free as the air they breathe. When Heidi Johnson’s son, Aaron, began to believe his minor success as a YouTuber granted him the status of an independent adult, she decided to grant his wish in the most literal, and viral, way possible.
