CHILD INFLUENCERS: A DEBATE THAT MUST HAPPEN

Abstract

The authors consider childhood to be an initial stage of life, encompassing birth to 12 years of age, and the experiences lived affect the physical, mental, social, and emotional development of individuals. Consequently, during this period, the individual, not yet fully developed, needs care in physical, mental, social, and legal aspects, and is therefore considered legally incapable, as stated in the Brazilian Civil Code. On the other hand, as a consequence of postmodernity, social networks are online platforms that allow the creation of personal profiles, interaction with other people, content sharing, participation in communities and networks of friends, and exploration of common interests. Although they offer unique opportunities for personal expression and social connection, they present dangers for developing children and adolescents. In Brazil, with the advent of the 1988 Federal Constitution, rights were recognized, including the prohibition of child labor. However, with technological evolution and the advancement of the internet, there is increasing encouragement for something described as artistic child labor (ACL) carried out through digital platforms. This is because, with the democratization of access to and production of content by children and adolescents, they have begun to work beyond traditional media spaces such as television (Braúna, Costa; 2023), even disregarding their development and ability to assess what is best for them and does not harm them. Considering these characteristics, the authors discuss the need for serious regulation regarding rules for protecting the health and safety of workers, artists or not, within the models of legislation that regulates child and adolescent labor on computerized platforms in our country, as well as the concepts that characterize childhood, identity development, work, and harm.