Meta seeks to teach online safety on Messenger Kids

San Francisco, Jan 20 (IANS) Meta-owned Facebook on Thursday announced that it is launching Pledge Planets on Messenger Kids — an activity to help kids learn how to use the internet safely and practice making healthy decisions online.

The company said that it developed the Messenger Kids Pledge and the Pledge Planets activities in close partnership with experts in online safety, child development, and children’s media.

“Today we are launching Pledge Planets on Messenger Kids. This interactive in-app activity helps kids learn and practice how to make healthy decisions online, stay safe and build resilience,” Erik Michael Weitzman, Director of Product Management, said in a statement.

“Kids can explore different planets based on the tenets of the Messenger Kids Pledge: Be Kind, Be Respectful, Be Safe and Have Fun,” Weitzman added.

In each episode, kids help characters navigate various social situations and make decisions that lead to positive outcomes.

By completing the games, kids will see that their respectful, safe and fun actions have a big impact on those around them.

The first episode, “Be Kind,” is rolling out to all countries where Messenger Kids is available, with new episodes that focus on the other pledges coming soon. In this episode, players are introduced to the owner of a sandwich shop.

“We developed the Messenger Kids Pledge and the Pledge Planets activities in close partnership with Meta’s Youth Advisors,” Weitzman added.

“This group of experts in the fields of online safety, child development and children’s media help us develop new products, features and policies for young people by sharing their expertise, research and guidance,” Weitzman said.

–IANS

vc/vd