The internet is a cruel place for adults, let alone children. But the social giant Facebook is betting on that fact.
Facebook has launched 'Facebook Messenger Kids', a standalone app which is similar to Facebook Messenger, but aimed at children under the age of 13.
Initially available for iOS users in the U.S., the app is similar to the original Messenger version, but with a bit of trimming here and there, to suit the young audience. And with the biggest addition: parental control.
Because Facebook Messenger Kids is an app for kids, accounts have to be first set up by parents before children can use it.
After logging in, kids can only chat with a pre-defined list of contacts, which can include their parents and relatives, or any carefully-chosen friends.
To make it simple for the young audience, Messenger Kids has a simple to use home screen that shows a list of contacts they can (allowed) to talk to, and which of them are available online to chat with. Opening a chat box will enable them to send text as well as photos.
But to appeal the younger audience, Messenger Kids needs more than that, and this is why Facebook adds more features that are unique to the app.
For example, Messenger Kids uses augmented reality technology, enabling kids to access age-appropriate stickers and masks. It also includes a number of GIFs that are also age-appropriate and curated.
In addition to that, Facebook is also taking a wise approach for safeguarding its young users.
Messenger Kids has no ads, so parents won't have to worry that usage data can used for target advertisements. There isn't any in-purchase feature either, so there's no chance that children can use their parents' credit cards, like to buy credits for Messenger games, for example.
So here, with Messenger Kids, Facebook is offering an alternative to its original Messenger app. With its controlled environment, parents can limit what their children can do or cannot do on the app.
While this is a great addition to Facebook's array of apps, it raises some unique questions (concerns), like screen-time, whether Facebook is "educating" children to use its products before they reach the age where they're free to use its full-blown services, or whether social media can be educational in the first place.