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.

中文翻译：

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YouTube 上的数字资本主义和童工剥削

本文通过“儿童影响者”现象（创作视频内容并在平台上获得大量粉丝的儿童）探讨了 YouTube 上的童工剥削问题。它在数字资本主义和平台资本主义的框架内讨论了儿童影响力，公司将用户的数据货币化。虽然儿童影响力可以让孩子们发挥创造力并获得收入，但它也有剥削他们的劳动并损害他们的隐私和福祉的风险。文章分析了几个流行的儿童影响者 YouTube 频道，发现一些孩子正在以类似于紧张工作的方式制作内容。它强调了数字资本主义如何导致数字劳动力的商品化和异化。虽然儿童网红通过促销使平台和品牌受益，但他们的努力可能无法获得公平的补偿。父母的参与也引发了有关儿童自主和保护的问题。总体而言，文章认为，虽然儿童影响力看起来像是休闲游戏，但在某些情况下，它相当于一种隐性的童工形式，无法维护儿童权利。它呼吁加强监管，以确保儿童网红的非物质劳动不会受到剥削。