Facebook announces new Messenger Kids for under 13s; but should your kids use it?
Facebook on Tuesday rolled out a new app in the United States that's designed just for kids. Messenger Kids, according to Facebook, "makes it easier for kids to safely video chat and message with family and friends when they can't be together in person."
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Facebook on Tuesday rolled out a new app in the United States that's designed just for kids. Messenger Kids, according to Facebook, "makes it easier for kids to safely video chat and message with family and friends when they can't be together in person."
We probably all know at least one tween with their own Facebook page, but, officially, Facebook requires users to be no younger than 13. Now, with Messenger Kids, the social media giant has an official way for the youngest screen addicts among us to get on Facebook ... kind of.
"Parents fully control the contact list and kids can’t connect with contacts that their parent does not approve," Facebook says. With it, kids can video chat or send photos, videos or text messages with those parent-approved contacts and explore kid-appropriate GIFs, frames, stickers, masks and drawing tools.
“The unique thing about this was, and the thing I really liked about it, that it's not a profile. So it's not like anyone else can look up your child,” she said in the interview.
"This new Messenger Kids app from Facebook is the platform's last hope to get teens flocking back, despite adults being there," Tierney tells me.
"Think of Facebook as the mall on a Friday night," she said. "Once parents show up, kids head over to the new mall. Instagram and Snapchat are the new malls. The data proves this. In our surveys with over 5,000 middle school and high school students, we see Facebook is missing in the top 10 most popular social platforms among teens. Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, SMS Texting, and Console Gaming are all ahead of Facebook."
Tierney doesn't think Messenger Kids will break into that top 10.
"The app feels like it was built with parents first in mind," she said. "For that reason, I think kids will try and avoid it."
Kids under 13 are experiencing an incredible time of social and emotional development. They also don't quite understand the permanence of screenshots and what that even means, Tierney said. She shared three tips for parents whether their child is under 13 or not:
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