Children’s digital playgrounds as data assemblages: Problematics of privacy, personalization, and promotional culture
Children’s digital playgrounds have evolved from commercialized digital spaces such as websites and games to include an array of convergent digital media consisting of social media platforms, mobile apps, and the internet of toys. In these digital spaces, children’s data is shared with companies for...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2018-10-01
|
| Series: | Big Data & Society |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951718805214 |
| _version_ | 1811337855820103680 |
|---|---|
| author | Karen Louise Smith Leslie Regan Shade |
| author_facet | Karen Louise Smith Leslie Regan Shade |
| author_sort | Karen Louise Smith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Children’s digital playgrounds have evolved from commercialized digital spaces such as websites and games to include an array of convergent digital media consisting of social media platforms, mobile apps, and the internet of toys. In these digital spaces, children’s data is shared with companies for analytics, personalization, and advertising. This article describes children’s digital playgrounds as a data assemblage involving commercial surveillance of children, ages 3–12. The privacy sweep is used as a method to follow the personal information traces that can be expected to be disclosed through typical use of two children’s digital playgrounds: the YouTube Kids app and Fisher-Price Smart Toy plush animal and companion app. To trace the data flows, privacy policies and other publicly available documents were analyzed using political economy and privacy informed indicators. This article concludes by reflecting upon the dataveillance and commercialization practices that trouble the privacy rights of the child and parent when data assemblages in children’s digital playgrounds are surveillant. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:01:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d73b3ad6f6b94ff08623a5149f0031a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2053-9517 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:01:06Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Big Data & Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-d73b3ad6f6b94ff08623a5149f0031a22022-12-22T02:36:14ZengSAGE PublishingBig Data & Society2053-95172018-10-01510.1177/2053951718805214Children’s digital playgrounds as data assemblages: Problematics of privacy, personalization, and promotional cultureKaren Louise SmithLeslie Regan ShadeChildren’s digital playgrounds have evolved from commercialized digital spaces such as websites and games to include an array of convergent digital media consisting of social media platforms, mobile apps, and the internet of toys. In these digital spaces, children’s data is shared with companies for analytics, personalization, and advertising. This article describes children’s digital playgrounds as a data assemblage involving commercial surveillance of children, ages 3–12. The privacy sweep is used as a method to follow the personal information traces that can be expected to be disclosed through typical use of two children’s digital playgrounds: the YouTube Kids app and Fisher-Price Smart Toy plush animal and companion app. To trace the data flows, privacy policies and other publicly available documents were analyzed using political economy and privacy informed indicators. This article concludes by reflecting upon the dataveillance and commercialization practices that trouble the privacy rights of the child and parent when data assemblages in children’s digital playgrounds are surveillant.https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951718805214 |
| spellingShingle | Karen Louise Smith Leslie Regan Shade Children’s digital playgrounds as data assemblages: Problematics of privacy, personalization, and promotional culture Big Data & Society |
| title | Children’s digital playgrounds as data assemblages: Problematics of privacy, personalization, and promotional culture |
| title_full | Children’s digital playgrounds as data assemblages: Problematics of privacy, personalization, and promotional culture |
| title_fullStr | Children’s digital playgrounds as data assemblages: Problematics of privacy, personalization, and promotional culture |
| title_full_unstemmed | Children’s digital playgrounds as data assemblages: Problematics of privacy, personalization, and promotional culture |
| title_short | Children’s digital playgrounds as data assemblages: Problematics of privacy, personalization, and promotional culture |
| title_sort | children s digital playgrounds as data assemblages problematics of privacy personalization and promotional culture |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951718805214 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT karenlouisesmith childrensdigitalplaygroundsasdataassemblagesproblematicsofprivacypersonalizationandpromotionalculture AT lesliereganshade childrensdigitalplaygroundsasdataassemblagesproblematicsofprivacypersonalizationandpromotionalculture |