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Child Experts: Just Say 'No' To Facebook's Kids App (apnews.com)
A group letter sent Tuesday to CEO Mark Zuckerberg argues that younger children -- the app is intended for those under 13 -- aren't ready to have social media accounts, navigate the complexities of online relationships or protect their own privacy. From a report: Facebook launched the free Messenger Kids app in December, pitching it as a way for children to chat with family members and parent-approved friends. It doesn't give kids separate Facebook or Messenger accounts. Rather, the app works as an extension of a parent's account, and parents get controls such as the ability to decide who their kids can chat with. The social media giant has said it fills "a need for a messaging app that lets kids connect with people they love but also has the level of control parents want."
But a group of 100 experts, advocates and parenting organizations is contesting those claims. Led by the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the group includes psychiatrists, pediatricians, educators and the children's music singer Raffi Cavoukian. "Messenger Kids is not responding to a need -- it is creating one," the letter states. "It appeals primarily to children who otherwise would not have their own social media accounts."
But a group of 100 experts, advocates and parenting organizations is contesting those claims. Led by the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the group includes psychiatrists, pediatricians, educators and the children's music singer Raffi Cavoukian. "Messenger Kids is not responding to a need -- it is creating one," the letter states. "It appeals primarily to children who otherwise would not have their own social media accounts."
Experts agree he is Fuckerberg.
Think of all the ad revenue that would go to waste though!
If this app isn't a success, how are they supposed to build a profile on these kids this early in life? That's *years* of revenue missed out on.
I applaud what this group of experts is saying; keep children away from so-called 'social media' in the first place. Encourage them to be actually social, in person, with other kids, so they build actual social skills. That's the real key to success in life. While you're at it, set a good example for your kids: get off social media yourself.
We kids will control who our parents communicate with!
Experts: Just Say 'No' To Facebook
There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
A group letter sent Tuesday to CEO Mark Zuckerberg argues that...
I'm sure his printer or mail-slot is located near the toilet for exactly this kind of scenario.
No, you learn how to properly marinate and grill them.
Like child psychologist, veteran educators can all be called Child Experts I guess
But I understand experts are often thrown around in media on subjects that are really subjective.... like experts on Israel Palestinian conflict.... obviously they are all failing and nobody have any workable solution which make it laughable to call any one an expert....
But in this case I think there are legitimate people who can be considered experts.
You don't need to protect your children from ads. You need to protect your children from becoming commoditized as Facebook data they can sell to whatever third party. If you don't think Facebook would use this to spy on consumer preferences of you and your children, well I can't help you.
From cradle to grave, FB has you covered^Wprofiled.
They’re basically now at the point where they’ve mostly addicted the older generation, so to maintain long-term profits they need to invent ways to hook the younger generation before they get old enough to think for themselves and realize that Facebook is dumb (and mainly populated with old people nowadays).
#DeleteChrome
While I appreciate that social media at that age is dubious at best. Isn't it a better idea that parents are involved as opposed to kids doing it on their own and completely without supervision. Will this scratch the itch but keep parents in the loop?
Are just making vague generalizations. I know when I was 10 there was no Facebook, but I got an E-mail account,
and I got on Internet Relay Chat, became a regular in dozens of channels --- started helping out users with their technical troubles and abuse issues.
A few years later I was a DALnet Oper and Svs Admin: that was until two events involving DDoS and politics obliterated the pair of servers
whose teams I was on from the network.
I saw the worst of the worst, and turned out just fine, and I didn't have a group of experts saying I "shouldn't socialize or have my own accounts on the internet" --- heck, I registered my own accounts all the time (Admittedly.... often under a pseudonym/fake/assumed name), and there wasn't even any language back then that you needed to be 13.....
Why with the artificial privacy restrictions, when we KNOW very well... that Google knows MORE about us than ourselves and our closest pals?
The only rule for privacy protection is to learn who to trust and who NOT to trust, and large companies are among those NOT to trust.
Any chance that you'd define what you mean by "diversity bullshit"?
How about some 'luddite' actual, in-person social skills instead, Sexconker? We don't need an entire generation of socially-avoidant people because they never leave their houses and interact with their peers in real life.
Go back to Russia and tell Putin you failed to influence us yet again, because you've been made.
Get them while they are young, just like the tobacco industry (George Carling in Dogma)
Why? It wouldn't affect your ideology.
The better question is whether we want to teach our kids that early in life to prize the superficial, no-strings, unfulfilling "connections" that Facebook, etc. enable.
If you're fed nothing but processed white bread when you're a kid, chances are you'll carry that into adulthood.
When it comes to racism, you hear people say, "I don't care if people are white, black, purple or green." Hold on, now, purple or green? Come on now, you gotta draw the line somewhere.
Mitch Hedberg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
#DeleteFacebook
I remember my first cigarette. It was August, I was on summer break and I was 8 years old. That first drag of the half used cigarette I found on the ground outside the bus station was surprisingly smooth. I always thought that cigarettes would taste bad because they smell so bad, but the smoothness of R. J. Reynolds Brand Camel cigarettes is peerless. Fast forward 35 years later and I am completely addicted to refreshing FaceBook in my browser. God damn you Zuckerberg, you fucking cancer!
FB is using this program to farm/groom users of tomorrow..Just like a pedos would do,offer free candy,toys and ..... would love to read the TOS and what data they collect too.
Jack of all trades,master of none
Some of us are old enough to remember the first inter-racial kiss on TV, Kirk and a cute green skinned woman, which was our introduction to diversity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
*They* always get you through schools. this messenger will become way for teachers to interact with kids.
Why do want to hear what a closed minded white racist has to say about diversity? I grew up hearing their bullshit. It's harmful, hateful and only puts themselves behind everyone else. They are be moved to the back of the train little by little with each generation and if they can't see it now, thier kids will or thier kids will.
Acceptance of diversity will help you get along better and propel not just yourself but humanity forward, all humans regardless of color. The negativity of the white privilege folks is going to bury them.
It's Yahooligans all over again
After working so hard on that he's wondering how you made him so quickly...by the third word Alexei, the third word.
This is just a facade. If a 13 year old kid cannot figure out how to create an gmail account and then create a facebook account with a birthdate that makes them 10 years older, they aren't ready for social media. I mean, you don't even need a fake ID for that.
And come on, Isn't that what kids did in WW2? Lie about their age to join the army?
Because children aren't exposed to the big, bad internet, Facebook doesn't have to worry about child privacy and child safety laws.
Meaning 1) Facebook doesn't have to spend it's time and money making Facebook 'child friendly', 2) the child isn't legally a subscriber so Facebook isn't liable.
Messenger Kids is not responding to a need ...
Sure it is but Skype-ing Granny doesn't require keyboarding skills or induce Twitter/SMS addiction: Attributes that Facebook depends on.
says the Anonymous Coward
And your children will be ruined!
- every "expert" ever
See subject.
You know what the definition of a "child expert" is, right? A pedo who hasn't been outed yet.