SHARENTING AND CHILD DIGITAL INFLUENCERS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Abstract

This article investigated the implications of sharenting and of the activity of child digital influencers for the rights of children and adolescents, focusing on protection against child labor. The starting hypothesis was that this activity may constitute artistic child labor, for which current regulation is insufficient. The deductive method was adopted, using bibliographic research in scientific articles and legal works, documentary research on related national and international legislation, and analysis of news reports on the case of the boy Ryan Kaji. The results indicate that commercial sharenting turns childhood into a commodity and masks the exploitation of child labor under the appearance of entertainment; that the Federal Constitution and the Statute of the Child and Adolescent offer protection but do not specifically regulate the activity; and that habituality, economic purpose, and public exposure bring the activity of child YouTubers closer to artistic work, which requires a judicial permit. It is concluded that specific and urgent regulation is needed to ensure the well-being and full protection of these individuals.