Facebook Urged To Reconsider Its Plans for an Instagram for Children (theguardian.com) 34
Instagram for kids is a terrible idea, argues a columnist for the Observer. And yet:
In March, Buzzfeed reported on Facebook's plans to develop a product for those too young to sign up to Instagram officially, as the platform requires users to be at least 13... Facebook says it will allow the company to focus on privacy and safety for children.
Last week, an international coalition of children's health advocates, brought together by the Boston-based, non-profit Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, disagreed and wrote an open letter to Zuckerberg urging the company to drop its plans. "While collecting valuable family data and cultivating a new generation of Instagram users may be good for Facebook's bottom line, it will likely increase the use of Instagram by young children who are particularly vulnerable to the platform's manipulative and exploitative features," it said...
Maybe it is naive of me to expect that children will have any period of freedom from wondering "but how will it/I look?", but surely we should at least try to maintain that for as long as possible.
Last week, an international coalition of children's health advocates, brought together by the Boston-based, non-profit Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, disagreed and wrote an open letter to Zuckerberg urging the company to drop its plans. "While collecting valuable family data and cultivating a new generation of Instagram users may be good for Facebook's bottom line, it will likely increase the use of Instagram by young children who are particularly vulnerable to the platform's manipulative and exploitative features," it said...
Maybe it is naive of me to expect that children will have any period of freedom from wondering "but how will it/I look?", but surely we should at least try to maintain that for as long as possible.
Good idea? (Score:4)
In what universe do they think this was a good idea?
Re: (Score:2)
And in what universe is "13" even a suitable age?
Re: (Score:2)
A good chunk of Africa.
Re: (Score:2)
In what universe do they think this was a good idea?
I'm pretty sure this is fine in the universe with the Cronenberg World [fandom.com] where everyone got turned into Cronenbergs. [nocookie.net]
Tobacco companies also had for kids cigarettes (Score:3)
Re: Tobacco companies also had for kids cigarettes (Score:2)
Re: Tobacco companies also had for kids cigarette (Score:2)
Spite. The Chinese education is 50% this. Not so much bullying which is also significant but rather the rote learning system that can beat people down till they commit suicide. 50% is just wanting the best for your kid despite the horrors of Gaokao and the other 50% is thinking this kind of strenuous education system is what builds good character and you just have to toughen up. So I think a lot is this mix of indifference and spite, that we should overcome these challenges to be worthwhile in our respect
It is, if your goal is... (Score:5, Insightful)
Facebook has (along with many other large technology firms) every incentive to get children to sign up to this new social contract as early as possible, to minimise the risk that an entire generation could "get the wrong idea" and leave them in the dust. We're already hearing that Gen Z ("boomers") want far less to do with alcohol than previous generations, what if they decided that the Internet should remain a transmission medium for digital appliances and nothing more? Previous generations grew up with computers (and the Internet) as a world of possibilities where a certain amount of technical know-how was a prerequisite for getting the most out of it. Those who come after us will take it as much for granted as we did with the modern miracle that is telephony. It's very possible that coming generations will value meatspace interactions far more than we ever did. That should (and probably does) scare Facebook.
Re: (Score:2)
In what universe do they think this was a good idea?
If it makes Zuck money, then it's a good idea to Zuck. Look at him anyhow - is there anyone that loos more like someone from another universe wearing a human skin?
Re: (Score:2)
Jared Kushner? Yeah, Jared Kushner is my vote.
Re: (Score:2)
Jared Kushner? Yeah, Jared Kushner is my vote.
I cannot disagree.
It would be incredibly profitable (Score:2)
I predict they'll rebrand and try again. And eventually it'll work. Just like in the 80s when the Advertising industry got rules around marketing to kids loosened. We as a country are very, very pro-free market.
Barn-free childhood. (Score:4, Insightful)
Commercial-free childhood? Well that horse has escaped the burning barn, and now it's nothing but ashes.
Re: Barn-free childhood. (Score:3)
In the immortal words of the Tom Leher (Score:2, Insightful)
Comes a fellow ev'ryone knows
It's the old dope peddler
Spreading joy wherever he goes
Ev'ry evening you will find him
Around our neighborhood
It's the old dope peddler
Doing well by doing good
He gives the kids free samples
Because he knows full well
That today's young innocent faces
Will be tomorrow's clientele
Here's a cure for all your troubles
Here's an end to all distress
It's the old dope peddler
With his powdered ha-happiness
Tom Leher, The Old Dope Peddler [youtube.com]
Wrong answer to the wrong question (Score:5, Insightful)
Children have ZERO business being on the internet unsupervised.
To all the parents out there, my condolences.
It doesn't matter if it's a good idea (Score:4, Insightful)
to zuckerberg, it only matters that they can lock people into thier platform at an early age. Anything to keep thier society sucking influence over people and keep money flowing into thier coffers.
Facebook had teams of people to make sure thier UI can manipulate you psychologically to do anything from keeping you in the site longer or generating clicks and ad revenue. Imagine starting this process at an earlier age so it's more ingrained, and so they can lock people into thier platform.
And the sad thing there isn't much anyone can do to stop them (with the exception of telling your kids to stay off of it)
Stay away from creepy uncle Mark (Score:1, Troll)
A terrible idea given what we know about the effects of social media on adults. As well as bullying and cancel culture, this would seem a great target for male feminists and other degenerates.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Stay away from creepy uncle Mark (Score:2)
They have a reputation for being creepy weirdos who shouldn't be left unattended with anything vaguely female. Arguably this is unfair given how most of them successfully manage their abnormal urges. Ideally we would be understanding of paraphilias so that these people could feel safer in seeking help.
Make A Great Molester HoneyPot (Score:2)
I say Go For It.
Re: (Score:2)
Also build a children only tinder, youtube, and tictok
Mr. Zuckerberg.... (Score:5, Insightful)
You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?
Re: (Score:2)
On the other hand... (Score:2)
Children already use Instagram, whether we like it not. Don't kid yourself. Not a dad but an uncle here.
Would it not be better to at least have some control over it? Better the devil we know than the devil we don't?
Re: On the other hand... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Children don't use Instagram. They're on TikTok. Around here you can see little kids wearing TikTok t-shirts, they just love it. I see them every single time i go out for a walk (easy to spot: little kids don't usually wear black t-shirts but seems the normal color scheme is black shirt with the "t" logo). My niece is 8 or 9 and she's really into it.
Instagram for children, so that you child won't ha (Score:2)
Love it. (Score:2, Informative)
Of course (Score:2)
"While collecting valuable family data and cultivating a new generation of Instagram users may be good for Facebook's bottom line, it will likely increase the use of Instagram by young children who are particularly vulnerable to the platform's manipulative and exploitative features,"
After hearing this emotionally charged finding, for some reason saliva was dripping from Zuck’s tightly pulled back and slightly upturned lips.
If you want to stop him you're gonna need a law (Score:3)
Facebook's interest is in monetization. Make it illegal to monetize children's data (if not outright illegal to collect it, which I suspect is a superior position) with substantial penalties for abusers and their interest in such a project will vanish.
However, if you take the slightly paranoid view (but only slightly IMO, based on what we do know about our government's penchant for data collection through private entities) that Facebook is first and foremost a government-utilized data collection tool, then such a law seems unlikely to materialize.
Children should not be directly monetized. They are too young to effectively resist it, and moreover it trains them to expect to be monetized forever and ever, amen.