Many of you, especially parents and guardians, know Facebook has a T rating. So that means Facebook is for teens and adults only. However, a special app opens Facebook for kids of all ages (well, those 6-12). It’s Facebook Messenger for pre-teens.
This Facebook Messenger for Pre-Teens does several things. First of all, it lets parents get the app for their child’s device and create the profile. Then, they approve of people who can be on their kids’ page. It also has strict privacy guidelines and filters. The privacy filter helps protect from child predators and other bad guys. Then the filters block any graphic violence or sexual content or other things inappropriate for innocent ears and eyes.? In other words, Facebook is going all out to produce a safe, wholesome atmosphere kids deserve.
However, this kid messenger app has fun things they direct towards kids. For example, kids can make stickers, masks, and other GIF’s and send them to relatives and friends. They’re other fun things to get their attention, like crayons and fidget-spinners. But if a kid wants to friend a classmate, the kid’s parents must approve the request from the other kid’s parents. Also, when the child turns 13, this app doesn’t transfer into a regular Facebook page. At that point, he/she has to create his/her own page just like everyone else.
I do applaud Facebook for going out of their way to create a safe space for kids, especially of this young age. Some may argue, “Isn’t Facebook going too far with these guidelines?”. I don’t think they’re going to far. We had this debate in our Boston computer service shop. Yes, surveillance among adults concern me. But when it comes to the safety of young children, it’s a different story. Social media can be a dangerous world, on all fronts. We in computer repair know it and see the dangers, from ID theft to cyber hijacking viruses. In fact, in the last week, two children committed suicide because of relentless bullying. You can bet the bullying continued over social media. So no, Facebook isn’t going too far. What do you think of Facebook Messenger for pre-teens?