Kid Influencers as Change Agents for Social Justice in Brazil
In: Handbook of Communication, Media, and Digital Technologies in Iberoamerica
Walter de Gruyter (2026), pp. 228-264
Series: Handbooks of Ibero-American Studies, 3
ISBN 9783111193991 (hbk); 9783111193953 (ebook)
"This study explores the emergence of kid influencers in Brazil as active participants in the promotion of social justice, specifically focusing on the deconstruction of structural racism and the affirmation of Black identity. Despite high internet penetration in Brazil (84% of households), significant disparities remain: while 98% of high-income “Class A” households are connected, only 67% of those in classes D and E have access. Furthermore, while Black and brown-skinned individuals comprise 56% of the population, they represent 71% of citizens below the poverty threshold and are 2.6 times more likely to be killed than White citizens. Through a qualitative content analysis of three prominent Instagram profiles—@familiaquilombo, @eulilicarocha, and @ayomizuhri—this research examines how children navigate the intersections of play, digital labor, and citizenship. The findings reveal that these young influencers use digital “bricolage” to re-signify Black beauty and heritage, transforming their platforms into spaces for anti-racist education and the defense of human rights. However, the study also highlights critical tensions between the child’s right to participation and the commercial pressures of the influencer market, particularly regarding Brazilian legal prohibitions against advertising directed at children." (Abstract)