Instagram For Kids Is A Great Idea. Here’s Why Everyone Hates It.

Kids lie about their age to get onto Instagram. That’s a fact. It’s also a fact that when kids have “adult” profiles, it’s much harder to create tools and features to protect them. So it’s left to parents to proactively fill the void. In theory, Facebook’s recent push to create Instagram for kids is a great idea. Parents could more easily monitor activities. Cyberbullying could be more proactively addressed. Advertising could be banned. User information could be even more protected. These are all positive outcomes.

So why are there petitions and congressional action happening to prevent it? In other words, why does everyone hate it?

Actually, the answer is pretty simple: because no one trusts Facebook. For years, the platform has enabled the spread of misinformation, offered a gathering place for hate and operated with complete autonomy. Now, multiple surveys rank the brand dead last in terms of consumer trust. So if Facebook were to create Instagram for Kids, it’s reasonable to assume they would find a way to “pivot” to monetizing the platform (despite their current promises not to), do little to combat the rise of social media addiction among kids and fail to build the platform in a way that minimizes cyberbullying. It’s no wonder everyone hates it.