# Facebook launches messaging app for kids under 13 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 5, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639 "2017-12-05T16:02:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/1 "2017-12-05T16:02:39Z")
“Facebook’s new messaging app deepens debate over kids’ social-media use” > **[Facebook’s new messaging app deepens debate over kids’ social-media use](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/12/04/facebook-now-has-a-messenger-app-just-for-kids/)** > > The move gives Facebook a way to court younger users, with their parents permission. It also puts the social network at the heart of the ongoing debate about how and when children should start using digital products. > [@](#): > > The app, called Messenger Kids, allows users under the age of 13 to send texts, videos and photos; they can draw on the pictures they send and add stickers. The app, which launches Monday in the United States, gives thecompany access to a new marketwhose age prohibits them fromusing the firm’smain social network. Unlike with its full social network, the data collection will be limited, Facebook said, and children will need their parents’ permission to use it… I don’t have kids and I’m not on Facebook, but this doesn’t seem like a great idea to me. Why can’t kids wait till they’re 13? What’s the urgency (except from FB’s pov)? What say you, parents, grandparents, and non-parents? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/2 "2017-12-05T16:26:45Z")
My kids had phones when they were 8 or 9, mostly for my own convenience so I could reach them. It’s just a messaging/chat app. I don’t see a problem with it. It gives parents a reason to have a “responsible phone use” discussion. ETA: come to think of it, my daughter was on Facebook when she was 10 or 11. My son just started using Facebook (he’s 24). ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/3 "2017-12-05T16:51:11Z")
Younger kids are already doing a lot of chatting on their phones. I can see this app taking over in the long run for that demographic. Currently, kids are using whatever apps are out there, but going forward parents may set this up when their kids first get phones. Of course, kids may still use other apps, but the FB app might become the default one over time. What happens to a kid’s access after they turn 14? They likely still have friends that are younger. Do they lose the ability to chat with them? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/4 "2017-12-05T17:38:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > My kids had phones when they were 8 or 9, mostly for my own convenience so I could reach them. It’s just a messaging/chat app. I don’t see a problem with it. online bullying and harassment has been in the news once or twice recently. this just provides another avenue for it. > [@](#): > > It gives parents a reason to have a “responsible phone use” discussion. which the kids will ignore. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/5 "2017-12-05T18:01:28Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > which the kids will ignore. Funny, mine didn’t. They knew that having a phone was dependent on it being used responsibly. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/6 "2017-12-05T18:03:42Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > online bullying and harassment has been in the news once or twice recently. this just provides another avenue for it Why? Won’t there be mechanisms to block or ignore other users? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/7 "2017-12-05T18:16:06Z")
I don’t see any way this could possibly go wrong. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/8 "2017-12-05T18:20:41Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I don’t see any way this could possibly go wrong. Especially the video and photo part. That will be completely innocent, I’m sure. Is the app set so the parents are automatically copied on any messages sent? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/9 "2017-12-05T18:50:30Z")
And received? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/10 "2017-12-05T19:06:50Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Is the app set so the parents are automatically copied on any messages sent? :eek: Seriously? What happened to trust? ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/11 "2017-12-05T19:06:53Z")
My nine-year-old has a flip phone for when she’s out by herself or somewhere where we could get separated in a crowd. She uses my phone for video chats. I don’t see where she needs an account of her own at this point. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/12 "2017-12-05T19:15:41Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > :eek: Seriously? What happened to trust? You can trust your kid without having to give up your responsibility to provide him/her with an appropriate level of supervision. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/13 "2017-12-05T19:21:23Z")
Are people not aware that there are already numerous apps that do these exact same functions? ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/14 "2017-12-05T19:52:55Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Is the app set so the parents are automatically copied on any messages sent? As a kid, when I went outside, my parents always made me wear a wire. So they could eavesdrop on every conversation I had outside of their presence. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/15 "2017-12-05T19:56:07Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Are people not aware that there are already numerous apps that do these exact same functions? This is the Dope. I’m amazed none of the “I’ve never had children, used Facebook, or owned a cellphone, and yet I’m outraged!” crew have arrived yet. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/16 "2017-12-05T20:02:41Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > :eek: Seriously? What happened to trust? Trust, but verify! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/17 "2018-01-30T12:53:07Z")
“Turn Off Messenger Kids, Health Experts Plead to Facebook” > **[Turn Off Messenger Kids, Health Experts Plead to Facebook (Published 2018)](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/technology/messenger-kids-facebook-letter.html)** > > In a letter organized by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, dozens of health experts say the new app preys on a vulnerable group. > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON — At the age of 6, a child is full of imagination and may not distinguish reality from fantasy. She is beginning to read and can’t grasp nuances in written communication. She also doesn’t understand privacy. > > Citing those reasons and more, dozens of pediatric and mental health experts are calling on Facebook to kill a messaging service the company introduced last month for children as young as 6. > … > “Younger children are simply not ready to have social media accounts,” the experts said in the letter. “A growing body of research demonstrates that excessive use of digital devices and social media is harmful to children and teens, making it very likely this new app will undermine children’s healthy development.” > … What do you parents think? What are these “experts” so worried about? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/18 "2018-01-30T13:37:12Z")
I’m a parent. And if you let your 6 year old have a smartphone then you are a moron. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/19 "2018-01-31T03:10:45Z")
This is just Facebook desperate to capture that age bracket’s market. Facebook to kids my daughters age (14) is considered to be passé and for the olds, as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639/20 "2018-01-31T04:48:31Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I’m a parent. And if you let your 6 year old have a smartphone then you are a moron. Well shit, just turn off any data plans. Lots of folks hand over their cell/tablet/iPad to their kids, once they upgrade their model. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-launches-messaging-app-for-kids-under-13/803639.md?page=2)