Being and not being: 'Digital tweens' in a hybrid culture

Brazil’s hybrid culture and its regional and socioeconomic inequalities differentiate the digital experience of Brazilian children, even as their media use follows global trends. Combining national data with results from interviews with children aged 11–12 from different social contexts, this chapter explores how socioeconomic and cultural factors affect children’s online access and activities. Discussing children’s instant-messaging-based interactions on social network sites, and the production of YouTube kids’ channels, the chapter argues that dynamics of specific cultural processes, such as social inequality, have profound implications for children’s digital risks, opportunities, and rights.