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Tell Mark Zuckerberg: No Facebook for five-year-olds
Dear Mr. Zuckerberg,
Please do not target kids. Research shows that excessive social media use is already harming adolescents and teens. Younger children are even less equipped to deal with the interpersonal challenges and addictive power of social media. Kids need time and space to experience the physical world and develop healthy face-to-face relationships. Use your enormous reach and influence to promote children’s wellbeing: pull the plug on Messenger Kids.
Facebook is targeting young children.
Update: In January 2019, an analysis of hundreds of unsealed court documents by Reveal showed that Facebook had knowingly duped children into making millions of dollars of accidental purchases for years. Such exploitative business practices show that Facebook only sees kids as a source of profit and is in no way fit to be making products for children. On Tuesday, January 29th, we sent another letter to Mark Zuckerberg, renewing our demand that he shut down Messenger Kids immediately.
In December 2017, Facebook rolled out Messenger Kids, giving children under 13 official access to the Facebook platform for the first time. The app has no minimum age, and its emojis, colorful stickers, and animations are designed to draw and hold children’s attention even if they’re too young to type.
A growing body of research links social media use by adolescents with depression, poor sleep habits, and unhealthy body image. Younger children are even less equipped to deal with the interpersonal challenges and addictive power of social media.
Facebook says Messenger Kids will provide a safe alternative for children who use social media platforms designed for teens and adults. But it simply doesn't. In addition to pushing kids online before they're ready, Facebook Messenger Kids violates the basic requirements of children's privacy law. Facebook’s enormous reach and marketing power means Messenger Kids will normalize social media use for kids while making it even harder for parents to protect their children's sensitive personal information.
CCFC sent a letter signed by more than 100 leading child development experts and advocates urging Mark Zuckerberg to put kids’ wellbeing first and scrap Messenger Kids. Now he needs to hear from you.
Please tell Mark Zuckerberg to wield his immense influence in a way that helps children thrive: no Facebook for younger children.
THANK YOU for taking action to protect childhood!
You’re standing with the experts, activists, and caregivers who believe that the wellbeing of children should come before corporate profits.
Help us hold Facebook accountable by sharing our campaign with someone you know who cares about children.
Here’s some suggested language for your social networks:
TWITTER: #NoFBKids
Tell Mark Zuckerberg: put kids’ wellbeing ahead of corporate profits. #NoFBKids http://bit.ly/NoFBKids
How do you build a dedicated customer base? You get ‘em while they’re young. #NoFBKids http://bit.ly/NoFBKids
Kids need face-to-face, not Facebook. #NoFBKids http://bit.ly/NoFBKids
Adolescent social media use is linked to depression, poor sleep habits, & unhealthy body image. Why hook kids younger? #NoFBKids http://bit.ly/NoFBKids
Sign the petition and tell Facebook: kids need less screen time, not more. #NoFBKids http://bit.ly/NoFBKids
FACEBOOK:
Research shows that adolescent social media use is linked to depression, poor sleep, and unhealthy body image – and now Facebook is targeting even younger kids. Facebook’s Messenger Kids is the first major social media platform designed for young children. It features stickers, emojis, and animations to keep kids coming back to the app again and again. Younger children aren’t equipped to deal with the interpersonal challenges and addictive power of social media. And moving friendships online displaces the face-to-face interactions crucial for developing empathy and healthy relationships. Help us protect childhood by telling Mark Zuckerberg: No Facebook for five-year-olds!
EMAIL to a friend:
Will you join me in asking Facebook to stop targeting young kids?
Facebook recently rolled out Messenger Kids, an app that has no minimum age and is filled with emojis, colorful stickers, and animations designed to draw and hold children’s attention – even if they’re too young to type. A growing body of research links social media use by adolescents with depression, poor sleep habits, and unhealthy body image, and younger children are even less equipped to deal with social media’s risks. They aren’t developmentally ready to handle the interpersonal challenges and addictive powers of social media. And moving friendships online displaces the face-to-face interactions crucial for developing empathy and healthy relationships
I’m joining Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, more than 100 leading child development experts and advocates, and thousands of others urging Facebook to put kids’ wellbeing ahead of corporate profits. Please stand with us and tell Mark Zuckerberg to wield his immense influence in a way that helps children thrive: pull the plug on Facebook Messenger Kids.