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Introducing Messenger Kids

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Re: Introducing Messenger Kids

#41

Post by monkeyprojects »

BenchRouter wrote: post #18
mlevental wrote: post #5

fuck this. i'm sorry i know this isn't language appropriate to hn but fuck this. does anyone believe this is really for the betterment of any child's life? say anything you want about how children use messenger apps now and this just improves that experience for them but accommodations aside that's basically the same excuse that drug dealers use - "they're going to get it from somewhere so they might as well get it f…

I actually agree with you that this is "drug dealer" tactics but for totally different reasons. I think this is a classic "the first hit is free" move. It's a long-term play. I believe FB when they say they won't show ads to kids, or use their chats for ad scraping. What they really want is for those kids to become so familiar and dependent on the system (FB), that they naturally transition to being active FB users a…

Watching my children I would argue its a desperate attempt to get children under the age of 16 using Facebook as they just don't.

Both children attend a Music group which has used a facebook group for years. The older children (17-18) all have active facebook profiles - the younger children don't they use Instagram and Snapchat...

Re: Introducing Messenger Kids

#42

Post by malchow »

ng-user wrote: post #37
sethjgore wrote: post #6

TLDR, Facebook wants your children to connect to you via a chat app. I'm more than saddened to see that among the tech giants, they are encouraging _children_ to just use face filters and video chatting, rather than encouraging them to go outside and interact with friends in person. Why does an app made specifically for children and families need filters at all? It doesn't really matter that they are not putting in a…

Going to play devil's advocate and ask, did you really expect a tech company to encourage children to avoid all of their products and go play outside like they did 30 years ago when these companies never even existed? Of course they want children and people of all ages on their services. It's in their best interest to get the majority of folks using their platform. I seriously have no idea why this is so hard to unde…

Niantic doesn't seem to have a problem with this.

Re: Introducing Messenger Kids

#43

Post by Cthulhu_ »

sethjgore wrote: post #6

TLDR, Facebook wants your children to connect to you via a chat app. I'm more than saddened to see that among the tech giants, they are encouraging _children_ to just use face filters and video chatting, rather than encouraging them to go outside and interact with friends in person. Why does an app made specifically for children and families need filters at all? It doesn't really matter that they are not putting in a…

A bit luddite don't you think? Nobody encouraged me or you back when we were children to go online and chat using IRC instead of going outside to interact with friends in person, yet we did. I'm sure a lot of parents would prefer a more monitored environment (claimed) than IRC and such.

Re: Introducing Messenger Kids

#44

Post by ng-user »

malchow wrote: post #42
ng-user wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Going to play devil's advocate and ask, did you really expect a tech company to encourage children to avoid all of their products and go play outside like they did 30 years ago when these companies never even existed? Of course they want children and people of all ages on their services. It's in their best interest to get the majority of folks using their platform. I seriously have no idea why this is so hard to unde…

Niantic doesn't seem to have a problem with this.

Their situation is not an either/or, it's both. It's an awesome model and I think eventually a lot of companies will replicate something similar using AR.

Thanks for pointing that out though!

Re: Introducing Messenger Kids

#45

Post by Cthulhu_ »

supermdguy wrote: post #14

Wow. Just like tobacco companies targeting kids[0] Facebook is making sure their targets get hooked even younger. > After talking to thousands of parents, associations like National PTA, and parenting experts in the US Which "parenting experts" are in favor of giving kids more time on electronics? [0]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tobacco-companies...

It's not about giving kids more time on electronics, it's about giving kids access to a more sheltered and moderated environment. As mentioned earlier, a lot of "us" were on completely open and unmoderated IRC and ICQ networks back when we were the age this app is aimed at. So many underage people have gotten their share of perverts and abuse and whatnot on those. I'm not saying this app is good or Facebook saves the children or whatever, I'm saying that the alternative is unfiltered chat.

Re: Introducing Messenger Kids

#46

Post by emerged »

jops wrote: post #26

What can we do to protect our world from the the mega-corps degrading society and eating our souls with their moral compass lacking commercialisation of our very existence? Serious question.

How about a "keep your e-paws off our kids" boycott? Literally the only thing which could work at this point.

Re: Introducing Messenger Kids

#47

Post by Cthulhu_ »

Freak_NL wrote: post #21
christilut wrote: post #8

Another brick in the walled garden of the Facebook internet of the future. Now even kids below the age of 13 will have a Facebook account, setup by their parents who are already on Facebook anyway and enticed by exactly what they want to hear ("More Fun For Kids, More Control For Parents") thanks to the marketing team.

> Now even kids below the age of 13 will have a Facebook account They already had, they were just lying about their age. Anecdata: all of my colleagues with children let their child create a Facebook and Whatsapp account (that one is really big here in the Netherlands) at age 10, because not doing so means having your kid be the one child in class without it (with all the bullying and ostracization that implies).

This comment needs to be higher; kids will get on messenger apps regardless. The previous generation used MSN Messenger and such.

Re: Introducing Messenger Kids

#49

Post by Cthulhu_ »

chrisper wrote: post #9

Just a question of time until Europe starts having issues with this. Rightfully so.

Does Europe have an issue with Youtube Kids? With kids using Facebook / Messenger / Whatsapp / etc without being the age they are supposed to be according to the T&C?
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