Facebook "Panic Button" Screams Parental Involvement
Facebook news from the UK these days is all about the alleged panic button. All of the top technology and social media blogs are covering the story, all with the same slant — the panic button is a good idea, but there are faults.
Some of those faults are things like: the forms are too long to fill out; the potential for abuse in using the button is pretty high; panic buttons create a negative connotation to what is typically a safe and fun experience; and, the Facebook panic button isn't a panic button at all and is more of a consumer protection campaign with an application.
Whether or not Facebook's "panic" button is an actual button or a consumer campaign is one thing. However, what's missing in the conversation is the question: Where are the parents?
Social networking, like anything else, is something young children and even teenagers should do in moderation. Yes, that's easier said than done considering every kid who's eight and up wants a cell phone. However, social networking (and the internet) provides youngsters and teenagers with easy access to all types of content and people — most of it good, but some of it bad, very bad.
The panic button or consumer campaign or application (whatever it is) in the UK, of course, stems from the death of 17-year-old girl who was abducted by a homeless drifter she had allegedly met on Facebook.
The mother of the murdered teenager pushed officials for action, which turned into a call for the deployment of the "button" on Facebook. The tool is already used on other social networks including Bebo. However, Facebook resisted joining the cause at first, claiming that it already offers reporting tools, but the BBC reported that Facebook agreed to do it after 44 police chiefs signed a petition.
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