One motivation for these potential renovations is Facebook’s
falling stock, which hit a new low of $26.90 on Monday. Extending the age
restriction would allow Facebook to make a profit from advertisements directed
at children. Additionally, kids are devoted to online games, which bring in
huge revenue for Facebook. Approximately 12% of Facebook’s 2011 $3.7 billion
revenue was produced by the Zynga games it offers online.
The company is considering linking children accounts with
their parent’s accounts, allowing the parents to control their kid’s virtual activity.
The issue here is that children
who are trying escape their parent’s careful supervision may feel disinclined
to allow them to monitor their online social life. Facebook’s new feature may
not appeal to the majority of preteens, who may continue to lie about their age
to obtain accounts.
The other danger of allowing kids under 13 to use Facebook
is that social networking sites expose them to cyber bullying. Even high school
kids and adults are affected by Facebook bullying; kids under the age of 13 cannot
be expected to be resilient. If this renovation is implemented, Facebook use will
become the social norm for a younger generation. Although some preteen users
will be able to hide behind their parent’s virtual wings, many kids will continue
to bypass restrictions by lying about their age. This young, growing Facebook culture
will be largely unregulated, increasing risks of bullying and the publication
of personal information of children.
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