• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
method logo sxs 280x96 wht

methodshop

tech news, reviews & how to's

  • Trending
  • Latest
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Internet
    • Software
    • Security
    • Games
    • Advertising
  • Life
    • Entertainment
    • TV & Film
    • Music
    • Health & Science
    • Family
    • Social Media
    • Food
    • Style
  • Learn
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • News
      • Business
      • Crime
      • Politics
  • Fun
    • Featured
    • Humor
    • Holiday
    • Random Articles

Home : Family : What do you think about Facebook’s controversial Messenger Kids App?

messenger kids splash
messenger kids splash

What do you think about Facebook’s controversial Messenger Kids App?

Messenger Kids is Facebook's mobile messaging app aimed at children under the age of 13. It gives younger users access to a restricted version of Facebook's text and video chat features. But should you install it for your kids? The controversial app is raising a lot of eyebrows from both parents and child development experts.

May 14, 2018 by J. Frank Wilson
FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Critics Question Facebook’s Intentions
  • Parental Control in Messenger Kids
  • Targeting Younger Users
  • Available For iOS, Fire, and Android
Reading Time: < 1 minutes

Messenger Kids is Facebook’s mobile messaging app aimed at children under the age of 13. It gives younger users access to a restricted version of Facebook’s text and video chat features. But should you install it for your kids? The controversial app is raising a lot of eyebrows from both parents and child development experts.

Critics Question Facebook’s Intentions

The goal of the Messenger Kids app is to let kids aged 6-12 safely communicate with friends and family on Facebook. But critics think it’s just a gateway for Facebook to lure younger users into the platform once they are 13 and can have a full account. Child development experts are calling for Facebook to shut down the app. As most parents struggle to limit their kid’s screen time, experts question why we would intentionally drive them to use an app.

Parental Control in Messenger Kids

One of the core advantages of the Messenger Kids app is that it gives parents control over who their kids can chat with using the app. Messenger Kids must be authenticated from a parent’s own Facebook account before the app can be activated, and parents have to approve new address book contacts before they can be added.

Targeting Younger Users

Going after the 13 and under demographic is something new for Facebook. Until now, the social network had strictly avoided products aimed at the 13-and-under crowd. Why? To avoid data and privacy regulations, particularly the strict Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act. Facebook says the new app was specifically designed to be compliant with the law.

Available For iOS, Fire, and Android

The Messengers Kids app first debuted on iOS in December 2017. But as of February 14, 2018, the app is now also available for Android andAmazon Fire as well.

J. Frank Wilson
J. Frank Wilson

Frank Wilson is a retired teacher with over 30 years of combined experience in the education, small business technology, and real estate business. He now blogs as a hobby and spends most days tinkering with old computers. Wilson is passionate about tech, enjoys fishing, and loves drinking beer.


FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn
Category: Family, Social Media Tag: Apps, Children, Facebook, kids, Mobile, privacy
Previous Post:woman working remoteHow Online Tools Can Really Help Give Your Business A Boost
Next Post:These Are The 11 Hottest IoT Startups And Established Veterans To Watch (2018)iot feature

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar

Popular Posts

google naked

7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Google’s Cameras

dmas top usa

Top 200 Nielsen DMA Rankings (2023) – Full List

lg tv disable home screen scaled

How To Change The Default LG TV Home Screen To Live TV

rooftop woman

10 Naked Sunbathers Busted By Google Earth

hatch restore sleep

Is Your Hatch Restore Already Registered? Here’s How To Fix It And Unregister A Hatch Restore.

A mom laughing at a smartphone and tablet

250+ Funny Dirty Mom Jokes That Will Make Everyone Laugh (Even Mom)! (NSFW)

Caddyshack Quotes

35 Famous Caddyshack Quotes That’ll Make You Laugh

couple kissing

Dating Acronyms: The Ultimate List Of Useful Dating Abbreviations

Silverchair - Straight Lines (Late Night WIth Jay Leno, July 10th, 2007)

Despite Suffering From Laryngitis, Silverchair’s Daniel Johns Still Performs On The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

office space quotes 1

The 30 Best Office Space Quotes (How Many Do You Know?)

Jump to comments

About

MethodShop’s mission is to entertain, inform, and sometimes gross you out. MethodShop has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by us. All prices are subject to change.

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Trending Posts

google naked

7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Google’s Cameras

dmas top usa

Top 200 Nielsen DMA Rankings (2023) – Full List

lg tv disable home screen scaled

How To Change The Default LG TV Home Screen To Live TV

Latest Posts

banned posters

Top 20 Banned Movie Posters Of All-Time (NSFW)

Deep-Sea Dumbo Octopus

Video Of Rare Deep-Sea Dumbo Octopus Fascinates Internet Users

steve jobs shorts

Classic Video Of Steve Jobs Wearing Shorts While Presenting His New Vision For Apple

MethodShop Animated Zoom Icon
  • About
  • Submit
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Store

Copyright © 2023 MethodShop · All Rights Reserved.