Commercial-Free Childhood has shared a public letter that is addressed to Facebook’s Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and is signed by 99 children protection groups and individuals. The letter voiced the parties concerns surrounding Facebook’s plans to develop an Instagram for Kids app – which is geared to children under the age of 13.
Today, in an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg, we led a powerful international coalition of 100 experts and advocates in calling on Facebook to abandon its plans to create an Instagram for kids. For young children the safest Instagram is no Instagram at all! https://t.co/seaONfBTg3 pic.twitter.com/yLDE7jE8vI
— CCFC (@commercialfree) April 15, 2021
The letter signees include child protection groups from all over the world – including Consumer Federation of America, Africa Digital Rights’ Hub, and Australian Council on Children and the Media: the groups argue that a kid-friendly Instagram app would cause more harm than good – citing multiple data surveys and insights on the negative effect of social media on adolescents and on how social media culture perpetuates issues such as negative body image, depression, anxiety and bullying:
“We all know social media — especially Instagram — allows us control over what we share with the outside world. Many of us prefer to show our “best light” and/or a “filtered” version of our life. When children see this version of life and then compare it to their own, it often creates feelings of anger, frustrations, resentment, depression, and stress they don’t know how to emotionally process on their own. It doesn’t matter if you explain to them “it’s all fake,” because the part of their brain needed to fully comprehend and understand this concept isn’t fully developed until around the age 21-25”.
Facebook Spokeswoman Stephanie Otway agreed that Facebook would need to focus on ensuring better safety and security for children online. She revealed that Instagram for Kids is still currently underway and that Facebook will take the initiative to connect with child health experts in order to better understand the complexities of creating a safe platform for children. Moreover, Otway remained firm in her argument that Instagram for Kids would provide a safe space for children to interact with their friends and family – citing parental control features, the lack of in-platform ads, and the fact that many adolescents lie about their ages on normal social media apps as reasons as to why the platform’s development should go ahead.
Do you think we need an Instagram for Kids app? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!