Düzcan, Bekir; Bakioglu, Akin

Arpaci, Murat

Düzcan, Bekir; Arpacı, Murat

Bakioğlu, Akın

This article examines the issue of child labor exploitation on YouTube through the phenomenon of “kidfluencers” - children who create video content and gain a large following on the platform. It discusses kidfluencing within the framework of digital capitalism and platform capitalism, where companies monetize users' data. While kidfluencing can allow children to be creative and gain income, it also risks exploiting their labor and compromising their privacy and well-being. The article analyzes several popular kidfluencer YouTube channels and finds that some children are producing content in a way that resembles intense work. It highlights how digital capitalism leads to the commodification and alienation of digital labor. While kidfluencers benefit platforms and brands through promotion, they may not receive fair compensation for their efforts. The involvement of parents also raises issues about children's autonomy and protection. Overall, the article argues that while kidfluencing seems like casual play, in some cases it amounts to a hidden form of child labor that fails to uphold children's rights. It calls for stronger regulations to ensure kidfluencers are not subject to exploitation of their immaterial labor.

Arpacı, Murat

The present study examines the recent ideological and cultural apparatuses aimed at the Islamization of children in Turkey through the example of the Children's Magazine, published periodically by the Directorate of Religious Affairs (DRA). Since 2002, under the Islamist government in Turkey, the Directorate of Religious Affairs has progressively evolved into an ideological apparatus that operates in alignment with the government's social objectives. The DRA, supported by significant state funding, has become an institution that holds discussions on matters of family, children, youth, and gender. Seeking to align the government's ideological goals with the Islamization of society, the Directorate of Religious Affairs has placed special emphasis on cultural policies, media, and publishing. The Children's Magazine is one of the monthly publications produced by the Directorate of Religious Affairs, which has evolved into a significant cultural enterprise. The magazine conveys a religious pedagogy rooted in Sunni Hanafi Islam and a nationalist-conservative family ideology. It not only reinforces the prevailing ideology on religious matters but also promotes the political strategies of the government and the newly established official historical narrative.