But as with all websites and apps, this one will be fallible. Bullying and data privacyįor now the Facebook Messenger Kids app features no ads, in-app purchases or sharing of data with other apps on the same device. Rather, we need to see it as just one tool to foster healthy, respectful relationships with our kids, and learn through the technology. What is important is that parents do not become complacent about the app as a “silver bullet” solution to educating children about the internet. The app will evolve over time as kids and parents use it. Text-messaging isn’t, like, ruining young people’s grammarĮvidence already exists to show that social media can be good for mental health, building friendships, and resilience. Rather, it is a service that kids and their families and friends will need to learn to use - and use well - together. FacebookĪs leading kids and tech commentator Anne Collier has written, the most significant thing about the app is that while it has plenty of parental controls built into it, the app itself is not actually a parental control tool. The app has parental controls built into its functionality that allow parents to approve contacts through their main Facebook app. The focus is on developing online skills by supporting communication with known relatives and friends, because kids can only connect with parent-approved contacts. The Facebook app is an interesting innovation in the social media space precisely because it promotes learning about and using social media together with kids. Learning how to navigate social media together is now a key feature of childhood and parenting. There are both challenges and benefits associated with kids connecting with others via games and apps, but the functionality is not going to go away. Messaging is also embedded in multi-player games used by older children, such as Minecraft and Clash of Clans. But we don’t have a landline, so web apps, including social messaging apps, are becoming more central to our family communication. Philippa Collin, Author provided (no reuse)Īnd like the average Australian household with children younger than 15, we have seven internet-enabled devices in our home. Messaging is an increasingly important area for tech companies as well, as they realize that users may spend more time messaging than they do in any other social platforms.Īll of this is to say: I am very excited to exchange Moana GIFs with my 6-to-12-year-old friends, as long as their parents approve.Social media communication is a good way to keep in touch with family. With Messenger Kids, Facebook is getting a head start on hooking the teens of tomorrow.Īnd it’s not just about the age of the audience. For Facebook, the stakes may be partially existential: Though Snapchat has stumbled since going public earlier this year, it still represents a significant competitor with Facebook for the attention of teens and young adults. But the difficulty of regulating content for children has also been in the news, with YouTube’s service for kids under a spotlight for the disturbing videos that thrive there. The New York Times recently created a regular Sunday kids’ section, and Slate’s sister company Panoply houses Pinna, a podcast subscription service for kids. Messenger Kids arrives at a time when more and more companies are experimenting with outlets for kids. Training wheels for digital literacy, sure, not to mention a lifetime of social media addiction! It’s also training wheels for social media and messaging,” said Larry Magid, CEO and co-founder of. One of the quotes Facebook included in its press packet about the product gets at this tension: “Messenger Kids is more than just a fun way for kids to communicate with parentally approved friends and family. While the attempt to provide a nonexploitative space for kids is commendable, it won’t be lost on, well, anyone that this move will also groom a new generation of kids into being future Facebook users. In announcing the app, Facebook cited figures from market researcher Dubit that claim that 93 percent of 6- to 12-year-olds have access to tablets or smartphones, and 66 percent of them have smartphones or tablets of their own. In contrast to Amazon’s pointless recent effort to capture a teen audience, Facebook’s new app seems to recognize that, despite the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act, many children are likely already on services like Facebook. Parents must authenticate kids’ accounts before young’uns can begin using it. Facebook worked with parenting groups like the National PTA to develop the app. The app boasts Snapchat-like filters, stickers, and drawing tools for kids to play with, in addition to “kid-appropriate and specially chosen GIFs,” which is a semi-hilarious thing to imagine.
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