NPR News, Classical and Music of the Delta
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Parents To Monitor Children's Messages With New App

Melina Sampaio Manfranatti / Flickr.com
/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Facebook plans to launch a new app for kids so they can message their friends with the approval of their parents. It’s called Messenger Kids and is aimed at children under 13 who aren’t legally allowed to have real Facebook. LSU Mass Communications Professor Lance Porter says many kids lie and use social media platforms before they’re old enough.

 

Messenger Kids is controlled by parents and will not let kids add their friends or delete messages without permission. Porter says this is another way to combat the new trend of dark social.

 

Porter says this new app is a way to reduce the exposure to things kids are not ready to developmentally deal with.