I have to ask, what’s the benefit of the app to Facebook? Are they serving ads to kids? Or are they hoping to bring them up with Facebook firmly as part of their digital identity?
It has been a lifesaver during covid. It is the way kids text/video chat with each other without a cell plan and with only approved contacts. I don't know what my kid would have done without it, it is a 2-3-4 hour virtual playdate when there are no other ways to connect with their friends.
It seems most of the replies that are positive about this service, focus on the way they've helped rear children during Covid.
That breaks my heart, since kids ought to be able to play with their friends in person anyway. Parents have been incredibly docile about lockdowns and have played along since there's been technology afoot to make it all go smoother.
But this only works for a portion of the population that has the money, time, knowledge, and resources to secure such things for their kid. This is a terrible idea in practice in the way it imposes further hierarchy and inequity among kids. In-person, children are on equitable grounds with one another, but this creates a void of separation where rich kids will be able to dominate over the poorer ones.
That is and was debatable during the lockdown. We didn't, and we don't regret our choice. Even if now it is clearer that kids are not as susceptible to Covid, it wasn't clear at the beginning and I don't regret erring on the side of caution.
Not displaying ads to the kids does not mean the data just gets thrown away, after all.
This. It's a gateway drug.
Facebook is inserting its brand into children’s lives early and it’s further cementing their relationship with the parents. This obviously has a monetary value.
It can be to their benefit simply because it pushes more Facebook traffic through the ISPs and other major infrastructure. A quick win on the business side, and a whole new venture for further tech development on the product side.