Themed edition: South American childhoods in the digital era

The impact of digital technologies in children’ lives is a widely addressed topic in the recent literature on childhood in the global north. However, much less is known about the ways in which children in the global south interact in digital worlds. This themed edition of Global Studies of Childhood focuses on childhoods and digital technologies in a particular region of the global South: South America. Several issues make South America an interesting terrain to study the digital practices of children here. For example, the adoption of one to one technology policies in many of schools in South American countries in the last decade have meant that access by children to digital devices has increased. More importantly, the idea was advanced that children need technology thrive in their education and to learn new skills in order to fully participate in a networked society. This idea, in the context of neoliberal policies promoting consumption, alongside the lower costs of smart phones and other digital devices has resulted in millions of families investing in technology for their children, and this has established a relationship with technology from a very early age.

Into these fast changing scenarios, scholarly production in South America has become increasingly focused on the study of children and their interaction with digital technologies in a variety of topics: from education to identity, from leisure to socialization, from a rights based approaches to information and participation, to concerns about the risks and potential harm of using digital technologies on a daily basis. Different perspectives and resources are being deployed to help us to understand the role of digital technologies in children’s lives, from digital ethnographies to classic surveys of use, from interviews to video and policy analysis. Each offer different insights to assist us to better understand children’ experiences as well as the social and technological landscapes they inhabit.

This themed issue explores the variety of practices enacted by children, the contrasting viewpoints of adults and children regarding such practices, issues of risk and protection as well as the challenges that policy and digital education face to empower children to be critical users of technology as well as the steps necessary that we need to ensure are in place for them to get there. The studies presented here explore children’s relationship with digital technologies in different South American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. The issue presents articles that show children as active users of digital platforms such as YouTube (Maropo et al., Leon and Ames), engaging in socialization with peers through gaming (Albarello et al.) but at the same time cautious about strangers when accepting new friendships (Dodel et al.). Children interact in the digital world via sharing different aspects of their lives such as their health (Maropo et al.); consumption (Leon and Ames); leisure (Albarello et al.), constructing and performing gender and generational identities through the Internet. However, a broader question about how children’s rights and needs are protected and taken care of in policy (Magnone) is also necessary in order to understand the context in which these practices occur. Similarly, a reflection on the need to provide digital education to children and adults so they can navigate the digital world is in order (Mateus).

In the issue’ first article, Maropo et al. highlight child’s agency in the story of Lorena, a 12 year old Brazilian girl, who is a brain cancer patient and popular YouTuber. The authors analyse how, through self-narratives about cancer and YouTuber strategies she achieves popularity. Lorena raised funds for her brain cancer treatment in a precarious health system. At the same time, public exposition and mediatization of her health condition raise concerns about the risks related to her audience’s comments about gender issues and negative approaches to cancer. In summary, this research proposes how social media can both serve children’s agency and at the same time, expose them to risk, especially if they are in a vulnerable situation.

The participation of children in YouTube is also part of the inquiry in Leon and Ames’ article on girl YouTubers in Peru. The authors seek to understand how girls participate as economic agents through the production, distribution and consumption practices within the platform and how they enact their gender and class identities when they do so, in a context of economic growth and increasing consumption but persisting inequalities.

Within children’s practices, a field more populated by boys – gaming, is the focus of the piece by Albarello et al., who analyse the divergence between Argentinian and Chilean adults’ and children’s perception around the social dimensions of playing the popular videogame Fortnite. Some contrasting interpretations of the videogame, which are evidenced in a generational disconnection, are related to social isolation from the physical environment and the choices apparent in family versus immersive videogame experience. Further, the risks associated with interaction with strangers versus social space with Fortnite friends are discussed. Overall, the authors contend that Fortnite can act as a meaningful socialization space for the children, but unfortunately, parents seem not to understand it, from a shared perspective.

In reflecting on the literature about the risks that digital media may represent for children, Dodel et al. consider one of the most feared digital practices; accepting requests from unknown people (with weak or non-existent ties) on social media. Building on the ample experience and knowledge of the Global Kids Online studies worldwide, the authors go beyond the adults’ perspective, aiming to understand this digital practice without prejudice. Their findings were related to the fact that the most prevalent type of response in Uruguayan children was to only accept requests from individuals whom they know (i.e. showing self protective attitudes from children themselves) and that the main predictors of their response, were related to age, digital skills and their vulnerability.

At a macro level analysis, Magnone examines the Uruguayan government digital policies focused on children through the lens of children’s rights. Even though Plan Ceibal has been praised internationally, the paper suggests that the national strategies have been focused specifically on provision (access) and (online) protection, but not on a consideration of different types of participation. This finding is relevant particularly because of the nature of the digital lives of children, where they have fun, socialize, have access to information and can learn in such a wide variety of domains.

Finally, the colloquium, presented by Mateus, proposes a critical look at media literacy, which includes the digital arena. Based not only on the operative side of the use of media, the author puts forward the need to understand the consequences of media on society. One of the central ideas is the importance of media literacy is to cohabit as citizens in a mediatized society.

Together, the papers in this edition offer us a variety of perspectives to better understand South American children’ contemporary practices in the digital era, and invite us to continue exploring, inquiring and challenging notions of childhood and children, recognizing their agency and the many ways they can contribute to shape the social worlds they inhabit within the constraints they face.