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Experts Want Facebook To End Its Messaging App For Kids

Citing concerns for children's health, advocacy groups wrote a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging him to nix Messenger Kids.

By: Lindsey Pulse

Posted at 12:15 PM, Jan 30, 2018

and last updated 2018-01-30 12:15:56-05

Child health experts are begging Facebook to get rid of its messaging app for kids.

In a letter, advocacy groups urge CEO Mark Zuckerberg to discontinue Messenger Kids. They cite research showing social media use can be really bad for children's wellbeing, like unhealthy sleep habits and poor body image.

Messenger Kids is designed for kids under 13. When it first rolled out, Facebook claimed the app was responding to a need for children to have a safe, parent-controlled way to stay connected to people they care about.

But the groups argue Facebook isn't responding to a need — it's creating one. They've asked Facebook to leave younger kids alone and let them "develop without the pressures that come with social media use."