The controversy erupted on social media after Garrett Gee, the influencer behind the family account "The Bucket List Family," shared a video that sparked outrage and indignation among millions of users. In the footage, he is seen throwing his only 7-year-old son off a cliff into the sea, in what he himself described as an exercise to teach him to "do hard things."
The video was posted on his Instagram account and, within a few hours, garnered more than 3.6 million views. Although some followers defended the action as part of his unconventional parenting style, a large majority labeled it as irresponsible, dangerous, and traumatic for the child.
In the clip, Gee can be seen standing next to his son Cali at the edge of a cliff. After exchanging a few words, he pushes him into the void. The little boy screams as he falls into the water, and immediately after, his father jumps in behind him. The scene ends with the image of the family's other two children making similar jumps from a nearby rock.
The criticism was quick to arrive. Users from all over the world questioned the influencer's methods and accused him of exposing his children to unnecessarily dangerous situations for the sole purpose of generating viral content.
Amid the commotion, Gee wrote a lengthy clarification alongside the video: "This is not parenting advice. It's not something I advise you to try. It's also not something I've done with all our children. Each child is different, so the way we raise them, the discipline and the teaching of how to jump off a cliff are different".
In another passage, the influencer explained his motivation behind the scene:"The first priority is safety. The second is learning that you can do hard things. The third is to have fun. Eventually, the baby eagle needs to leave the nest or will have to be thrown out, it must learn that it can fly"
The story of the Gee family is not new to social media followers. In 2015, after selling an app to Snapchat for 54 million dollars, Garrett and his wife decided to leave their conventional life and dedicate themselves to traveling the world with their children. Since then, they have visited more than 65 countries and have documented their extreme adventures, which include everything from swimming with sharks to exploring volcanic islands.
