Religious Leaders Write Letter Urging Zuckerberg To Scrap ‘Instagram Kids’ Idea

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Religious Leaders Instagram Kids Letter Overview: 

• Who: More than 75 religious leaders wrote a letter to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
• Why: The religious leaders urged Zuckerberg to scrap the idea to make Instagram Kids, arguing it would damage their physical and spiritual health.
• Where: The letter was signed by religious leaders from across the country.

An assortment of more than 75 religious leaders have come together to speak out against potential plans for an Instagram aimed at children under the age of 13, arguing it would be detrimental to their physical and spiritual health. 

In a letter addressed to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the religious leaders urged him to scrap the idea for good. As it stands, the idea to build an “Instagram Kids” aimed at users aged 6 to 12 has been temporarily paused after it received backlash.

The religious leaders, who span more than 20 different denominations and faiths, argue social media use has been “well-established” to cause children emotional, physical and psychological harm, in addition to having “spiritual consequences.” 

“After much meditation and prayer, we assert that social media platforms that target immature brains, practice unethical data mining, and are inspired by profit motives are not a tool for the greater good of children,” the religious leaders wrote. 

Fairplay and its Children’s Screen Time Action Network, an advocacy group, were the brainchild for the letter, which pushed back at the idea of increasing childhood exposure to social media platforms. 

Platform Would Teach Children To Seek Validation From Others

In addition to causing an increase in depression, anxiety and cyberbullying, the religious leaders argued the potential platform would lead to children being conditioned to seek more validation from others rather than finding it within themselves.

“We believe that Instagram Kids would prove disastrous for children’s spiritual development,” the leaders wrote. “This is an issue that transcends denominational divides, demanding our unity to examine deeper issues of stillness, presence, attention, empathy and humility in the digital world.”

Facebook announced the idea for Instagram Kids in March, labeling it as a way for children to be able to use the popular social media application under increased privacy protections, Law360 reports. 

The idea received swift backlash, however, including from consumer and child advocacy groups, public health advocates and more than 40 attorneys general. 

“Facebook has historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms,” the coalition of attorneys general wrote in a May 10 letter. “The attorneys general have an interest in protecting our youngest citizens, and Facebook’s plans to create a platform where kids under the age of 13 are encouraged to share content online is contrary to that interest.”

Facebook would ultimately announce in September that it was putting the project on hold.

If you or your child is a heavy social media user and suffers from depression, eating disorders, cutting, body dysmorphia or other mental health conditions, you may be able to join legal action against these companies (links to paid attorney content).! 

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