Infâncias em jogo: uma análise dos riscos e das oportunidades para meninas no jogo Royale High da plataforma Roblox

Abstract

To support our discussion on childhood, we draw upon the foundational works of Sarmento (2004; 2007) and Brougére (1997; 2006), as well as Jenkins (2006; 2015), Buckingham (2007), Livingstone (2011; 2013; 2017), and Vitorino Sampaio (2016; 2017; 2021) to explore childhood and its relationship with the internet. Regarding gender studies, we engage with authors such as Bourdieu (2012), Butler (2018; 2019), Lauretis (2019), Bento (2006), and Harris (2005), in addition to Kafai et al. (2008) and Friman (2015), who specifically address the relationship between gender and digital games. For critical analysis, we employ the concepts of risks and opportunities outlined by Hasebrink et al. (2009), along with their methodological framework. Additionally, we incorporate the methodologies proposed by Schell (2008) and Petry et al. (2013) to conduct a thorough examination of the game.Our analysis reveals that the game includes challenging moments that promote movement, dialogue, and learning, as well as mechanics that are rarely found in other games designed for girls. However, Royale High also fosters a consumerist mentality and encourages the continuous acquisition of beauty and fashion items while restricting players' expressive possibilities to standardized, slender body types. Furthermore, we identify additional risks, such as the incentivization of inputting sensitive player data into the platform