How desperate Facebook is today. Since its decline of by the end of 2013. The deliberate act of signing of for good by users will reach 80% by the end of 2015. It would leave an empty and hollow site as Friendster had (see further on my article Like Friendster, Will We Say Goodbye to Facebook?).
And it seems that Facebook are alert of such decline. They now are declaring to suck in children under 13 years old to open a Facebook account.
Children are being prey to the monstrosity of being social in the internet. And by far has confined children in a world called 'social'. Where children are actually alienated in Facebook.
Facebook is fastening its pace to lure children to open an account 'legally'. And on Thursday (June 29, 2014) a Facebook spokesperson said they had filed a patent of application that allowed children to open an account behalf of parents' consent.
Though it triggers public dissent. The application had been filed in US Patent Office. And the file had been registered since November 2012. It is explained that the application will allow a strict supervision from children's parents.
Their children's account in Facebook thus is being watched and scrutinized on daily basis. And their parents will be advice directly by Facebook if anything goes 'wrong'.
"Child safety advocates, policymakers and companies have discussed how best to help parents keep their kids safe online," said a Facebook spokesperson in a statement sent to the Guardian. "Like any responsible company, we looked at ways to tackle this issue, but a patent application based on two-year-old research is not a predictor of future work in this area." (read: theguardian.com)
As Children Become 'Social' in Facebook
Though in fact many children without any their parents' consent made Facebook account. Such 'improvement' Facebook try to apply in the forthcoming application for children have highlighted much concern.
This application will solely tell parents that it is OK for your children to be in Facebook. As long as parents' have oversight on the account, everything will be OK. Unfortunately, for many parents they will not have time 'socializing' in Facebook.
Children have much time playing, while their parents work. And if there will be something 'wrong' with their children being 'social' in Facebook. And Facebook report to parents that the mischief of being social force the children's account to be shut off.
Children will simply whine and ask their parents to start a new account once more. It's that simple for children. Especially for parents who spoiled their children. This will harvest problem in the future I think.
Children will simply do anything fun in Facebook. Though it might seen as harmless at the surface. Playing games sometimes requires in-apps purchase. Parents will spend a lot of money paying such entertainment.
This had happened to Google Play, and parents are putting law suit against this. (read: Google Hit With Lawsuit Over Children's In-App Purchases, Mashable)
In addition, children under 13 who are supposed to play outside and dwell with friends, are alienated by such Facebook application. As there will be their parents' permission to be in Facebook, children would simply love being 'social' in the platform.
And their time will probably spend searching, chatting or even playing games in Facebook. Children will be succumbed to their Facebook account. Surely such 'disastrous' phenomenon will take away the children's innate behavior.