He saw how much his young daughter loved using technology to connect with far-away family and friends-but couldn’t find an app he trusted. Our origins, mission and visionĪllow us to introduce our founder: Sean is a father of two, and he set out to build Kinzoo with his own children in mind. While we’ve never planned to compete with Facebook Messenger Kids feature-for-feature, we do want to offer our users a product that’s underpinned by a different set of values. So, we wanted to share a few key ways that we’re different. Because we’re also building a kids’ messaging platform, we often field questions about what sets us apart from the big tech alternative. And it stressed that it won't automatically move users to the regular Messenger or Facebook when they get old enough - though it might give them the option to move contacts to Messenger down the line.Entering into the kids’ app market is no small challenge-especially when the incumbent in the space is Facebook Messenger Kids. That's troubling, she said, because younger children haven't yet developed the cognitive skills that enable them to think about and regulate their thoughts and actions and "allow them to realize when persuasive technology design might be manipulating them."Īt the time it launched Messenger Kids, Facebook said it won't show ads or collect data for marketing to kids. "One can only assume that Facebook introduced it to engage users younger and younger," Radesky said. University of Michigan developmental behavioral pediatrician Jenny Radesky, who co-signed the letter, said she's never met a parent clamoring to get children onto social media at an earlier age. That sounds like a lukewarm reception at best. It's been in the top 40 most popular kids' apps since then. But App Annie, an app analytics firm, said Messenger Kids has been downloaded about 80,000 times on iOS since it launched on Dec. "It looks like something that would appeal to a 6-year-old or 7-year-old," he said.įacebook wouldn't answer questions about said how popular the messaging app has been. But Facebook's new kid-focused app, which features animations and emojis, seems to cater to a younger audience, said Josh Golin, executive director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. Some companies have offered parental controls as a way of curbing unauthorized preteen use of their platforms. Those rules are based in part on federal law, which prohibits internet companies from collecting personal information on children without their parents' permission and imposes restrictions on advertising to them. Many preteens have already found their way onto Facebook and more youth-oriented social media platforms such as Snapchat and Facebook's own Instagram, despite internal rules that require users to be at least 13 years old. A chorus of other early employees and investors piled on with similar criticisms. Sean Parker, Facebook's first president, said late last year that the social media platform exploits "vulnerability in human psychology" to addict users. The social media giant added that it consulted with parenting experts and families, and said "there is no advertising in Messenger Kids."Ī variety of experts and technology insiders have begun questioning the effects of smartphones and social media apps on people's health and mental well-being - whether they're kids, teens or adults. In a statement, Facebook said on Monday that the app "helps parents and children to chat in a safer way," and emphasized that parents are "always in control" of their kids' activity.