![]() You also can’t delete messages from the app, which is one of the more frustrating things to try and keep track of if a kid is using iMessage or most other chat apps for that matter. When a child reports content as inappropriate, for instance, the note goes to Facebook, but the parent also receives an alert. While the bulk of the security comes from the ability to curate a kid’s contact list, there are deeper security features the app itself offers. It cuts down on random strangers getting access to messaging. In order for a child to connect with someone else, the parent account needs to get involved. Sometimes I barely feel responsible enough to have a public Twitter account now. I can only imagine what life would be like if I had a Twitter account as a tween. Still, the totally closed nature of this Messenger Kids ecosystem does prevent embarrassing or harmful posts from lingering to haunt a user as they grow up. “A child needs to learn to be smart about what they post,” she says, “and not just because irresponsible behavior is blocked.” Uhls takes an opposite stance, however, suggesting that the limited nature might give kids a false sense of what life on the big social networks is really like. Kirkorian likened it to social media training wheels. ![]() ![]() But, as a first experience, the scaled down nature can be a boon. Prohibiting social media can sometimes motivate kids to find unregulated channels which open them up to more risk.”įor many kids who have already usurped the COPPA restrictions and signed up for unrestricted apps, Facebook Messenger Kids will likely feel restrictive. “But, parental oversight is an important part of a healthy introduction to this kind of communication. “Giving parents control is likely to create contention,” says Heather Kirkorian, an associate professor of human development and family studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Kids can’t get messages from random people like on iMessage, Instagram, Snapchat, or any of the other common platforms kids currently use for chat. As a parent, one of the things I like about Facebook’s Messenger Kids app is that the child can only communicate with contacts, and contacts have to be added with permission by the parent account. “If their entire friend group is communicating this way,” says Uhls, “it’s totally fine and actually healthy to guide the child on how to use it.” Parental advisoryĭuring this on-boarding process, it’s important that the parent be involved and aware of how the app works and what real world usage would look like. In this case, the “but Dad, all my friends are using it!” argument can and should partially influence the decision about whether or not participation is appropriate. It’s about letting the child and their community help decide when they should use it.” Uhls, UCLA adjunct assistant professor of psychology, senior researcher with the Children’s Digital Media Center. “We should protect kids from advertisers as much as possible,” says Yalda T. Should kids be using social media at all?įinding the right age to introduce kids to social media is more complicated than simply picking an age, like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (also known as COPPA) did, which went into effect back in 2000 and state that kids need to be 13 or older before they can start using most of the popular apps with advertising and data tracking. Is this worth panicking over? Should a second grader have access to this kind of app? I asked a few child psychology and development experts to find out. While I see the pitfalls of bringing a child into social media sphere-6 does seem extremely young-I do think Facebook has done some things right with its new app, and it has potential if used correctly. I even saw it compared to using cartoon characters to sell cigarettes to kids. The second the app was announced, the internet rushed to point out how this is simply a gateway drug to get kids on the Facebook bandwagon that they can ride for the rest of their lives, spilling all their personal information and inviting a deluge from advertisers along the way. This is the internet behemoth that is Facebook. It was pretty typical stuff when it comes to chatting with your kids.īut, this isn’t a standard app for kids. She could video chat and use face filters. She spammed me with enough Facebook “stickers” and gifs that I considered blocking her. My daughter is near the top of that age range, but I added her as a contact and she requested I let her connect with one of her friends. The app is aimed at kids between 6 and 12 years old and offers a chat-based experience with none of the advertising or traditional social media elements of the full Facebook. FacebookĮarlier this week, I downloaded the new Facebook Messenger Kids app onto my daughter’s phone. The Messenger Kids app mashes up features from other Facebook apps like its video chat utility, Bonfire.
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