Yahoo Lifestyle 
Calls to shut down Facebook Messenger App for kids
Child health advocates have called out Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to shut down a Facebook Messenger app aimed at children under-13.
Facebook Messenger Kids was launched late last year as a "safe", "parent-controlled" way for younger children to keep in touch with their family.
However, parents voiced their concerns at the time about introducing children as young as five to social media, and now a coalition of child health advocates has published an open letter to the Facebook CEO.
The campaign is being spearheaded by Boston-based not-for-profit the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, with the letter describing the app as “particularly irresponsible”, especially at a time when they say there is "mounting concern about how social media use affects adolescents’ wellbeing".
The letter has been signed by 10 child health advocates and groups and is also running a public petition titled “no Facebook for five year olds”.
“They are not old enough to navigate the complexities of online relationships, which often lead to misunderstandings and conflicts even among more mature users,” the letter continued.
“They also do not have a fully developed understanding of privacy, including what’s appropriate to share with others and who has access to their conversations, pictures, and videos.”
At the time of launch Facebook said the product had been "co-developed with parents, kids and experts".
A study by UK media watchdog Ofcom, last year revealed that the use of social media among children under-13 is on the rise.
And it is argued that the app will result in young kids spending more time on devices, which will also affect their ability to maintain face-to-face friendships and deal with actual social interactions.
And while Facebook claims it will help bring families that live far apart closer together, the group argues that there are plenty of other options out there.
TechCrunch received a statement from Facebook on the open letter, but the tech giant maintained the app was doing good.
“For example, we’ve heard stories of parents working night shifts being able read bedtime stories to their children, and mums who travel for work getting daily updates from their kids while they're away,” the statement read.
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