In its most recent revision of privacy-related policy (doesn’t
it seem we have a new one every month?), Facebook now allows teens between the
ages of 13 and 17 to make posts that can be seen by the general public.
Previously, teen posts were only viewable by their immediate Facebook “friends
and friends of friends.” This latest step raises important questions in the
digital marketing sphere, as firms realize how important it is to lock in young
customers for future revenue growth. The question at hand is whether they are
willing to take risks and overstep questionable moral lines to buoy their
future revenue prospects.
Facebook is marketing the change under the auspices of
freedom of speech, as well as allowing teens to directly market to the public
for aid in fundraisers and other worthy social causes. It also specifically
blocks the marketing of gambling and alcohol to teens. But in an era where
anything posted on the internet can become permanent, do teens possess the
maturity to truly understand these consequences? The move has been slammed by
critics as simply about “monetizing kids.” Undoubtedly, Facebook’s primary
motivation is to boost revenue through this calculated move that required
significant deliberation among its executives, as it may otherwise risk its
youngest—and perhaps most important—demographic leaving for another
up-and-coming social network with a more lax privacy policy for teens.
The pressures of digital advertising dollars are putting
unprecedented strain on what is right and what is wrong in social media, as we
continue to enter uncharted waters. No one can be sure of the consequences for
teens in the future, or which teens will undoubtedly regret their online
actions in years to come. Facebook, it seems, would rather jump right in and
worry about the consequences later rather than slowly examine the implications
of such a policy shift.
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