When children and families become commodities: reflections on education in liquid times

This article presents a reflection on the process of transforming the child and the family into typical commodities of digital culture. We analyzed aspects of the YouTube channel "Brancoala" to reflect on the transformation of the family institution and the child (childhood) into merchandise. We support the reflection in Bauman (2001, 2007, 2008) and Bourdieu (1983), among other authors. As a result of the study, we observed that there are children who are regularly present on social networks and they can be consumers and also goods. They have their lives exposed since pregnancy, being denied the right to preserve their intimacy and even their right to oblivion. Whether as users, as producers of content for social networks or as merchandise (object of consumption), we understand that these children deserve the attention of their families and the school, as privileged training institutions or agencies. The care with the educational process of these children has proved to be very delicate and complex, especially when we consider the nature of contemporary society in the perspective of liquid times, proposed by Zygmunt Bauman. This is the motto of the reflections proposed in this text.