Children are already using the internet, and tech giants have taken note. The launch of child-specific spaces such as YouTube Kids and Messenger Kids is rooted in these platforms catering to the younger generation’s needs.
Instagram has joined the club, exploring the possibility of a version for kids, as confirmed by Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, in an interview with Buzzfeed News. Vice President, Pavni Diwanji will be leading this project after having overseen YouTube Kids during her time at Google. The goal is to have a parent-controlled Instagram environment for kids to keep up with their friends and safely explore their interests.
Social media apps have never had kids as their target market, yet many under the age of 13 appear to have social lives in the digital world. Privacy regulations in many countries prevent the tracking of data for kids. These apps have circumvented those rules through weak age verifications. Now, it seems they realize that children are an enormous untapped market.
These “safe spaces” for children solve many problems for their regular counterparts. The growing legislative pressure about these applications’ negative impacts on their young users decreases when there’s a safer, stricter alternative. The platform’s early adoption will ensure that the individual eventually uses the main application, perhaps earlier than they would have wanted or been allowed to otherwise.
Unlike YouTube and Messenger, however, it’s hard to imagine a version of Instagram that would be safe for children. The app barely qualifies as safe for adults with the same problems as any other social network. Bullying and harassment are rampant on these platforms. The photo-based experience could affect a child’s self-esteem and mental health as much as it affects ours, if not more. A kid’s understanding of the separation between digital identity and real-life will be limited. It’s a vulnerable age to be exposed to that level of comparison.
It is hard to tell with no detailed plans, but judging by a recent blog post, the company is already working towards making their main app a safe place for youngsters. Perhaps, they will pull off a version for kids that’s truly a better alternative. Only time will tell, but with social media addictions and fake personas on a steady rise even amongst adults, are targeted apps for kids creating safe spaces or a dysfunctional society?
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