ABSTRACT
Children's internet culture is simultaneously becoming taken for granted as underpinning much of children's everyday lives and yet persists in attracting controversy. Children's internet culture lies at the fault lines dividing child and adult worlds, offline and online culture, and opportunities for cultural expression in a heavily globalized political economy. This chapter critically examines these fault lines for what they reveal about children's agency and vulnerability, as well as the wider social processes of power and change that shape today's digital world. It draws on cross-national findings from the Global Kids Online project to reveal not only the factors that shape children's internet cultures but also the potential for a normative approach that translates research into action by advocating for children's rights in relation to the digital environment. Although much research, policy, and practice are tempted to sequester children's media cultures of all kinds into marginalized spaces, the internet fundamentally blurs boundaries and builds connections. While this is often not in children's best interests, bringing a range of familiar and new risks into their lives, their internet culture cannot be separate from that of adults. For this reason, redesigning the digital environment in ways that respects children's rights is fundamental.
