CCFC Asks Facebook to Pull Plug on Messenger Kids App; Company Says Parents Find It Useful

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is asking Facebook to scrap its Messenger Kids app aimed at preteens. In a letter released Tuesday, CCFC said Messenger Kids, likely to be widely used by elementary school children, could "undermine ... healthy development" since youths "are simply not ready to have social media accounts." It said the app is likely to increase the amount of time spent by children on digital devices, but social media use by teens is linked to depression and overall dissatisfaction with life. In a statement Wednesday, Facebook said Messenger Kids is intended to be a messaging app between parents and children, "with parents always in control of their child’s contacts and who they can message." It said since December launch, "We’ve heard from parents around the country that Messenger Kids has helped them stay in touch with their children and has enabled their children to video chat with fun masks with family members near and far." It said it used an advisory committee of parenting and developmental experts, as well as family and National PTA feedback, when creating the app. "There is no advertising in Messenger Kids," it said.