Rising Calls Concerning Re-Assessment of its Plans, Facebook Pushes Ahead Instagram for Kids

Divide 'Instagram for Kids' be a good idea or would it reveals youngsters to the dangers of social media? 

In case Instagram's case is precise, add undue mental pressure, and ease cyberbullying, among growing younger and more open to users?

Clearly, many specialists and regulators are leaning towards the latter, with a new call from lawmakers in the US for Facebook to stop its plans for an Instagram for Kids, noting the possible harms and dangers that could be shown, and amplified, by such an app.

 

 

"Attorneys general from 44 states and territories have advised Facebook to leave its plans to make an Instagram service for kids under the age of 13, citing harmful health effects of social media on kids and Facebook’s reportedly checkered past of protecting children on its platform."

The AGs letter cites different test reports which show that young people’s use of social media can grow "mental distress, self-injurious behavior and suicidal intents among youth".

 

"Young children are not equipped to handle the span of challenges that come with having an Instagram account. Children do not have a mature understanding of privacy. In particular, they may not fully acknowledge what content is right for them to share with others, the dependability of content they put on an online platform, and who has entry to what they share online."

The letter further highlights Facebook's earlier failings in protecting younger users, with this certain example connected to its earlier junior category of one of its apps - Messenger for Kids:

 

"Reports from 2019 showed that Facebook’s Messenger Kids app, internationally for kids between the ages of six and 12, holds a notable design fault that allowed children to avoid the limitation on online communication and join group chats with strangers that were not earlier approved by the children’s parents."

 

Indeed, Facebook confirmed in 2019 that there was a possible problem with the group chats feature in Messenger for Kids, which was rapidly solved, and there was no evidence that it was to be made use of. But still, when the key point of the app is protecting kids, and it fails to do so, in any way, Facebook is rightly going to be held responsible for such.