Advocacy groups today signed off on a letter telling Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg that he should not go ahead with plans to develop an Instagram app for children under the age of 13.

Thirty-five consumer advocacy groups, as well as 64 experts in the field of child development, said technology such as Instagram poses many risks for children related to their well-being, risks that have been well documented in older children.

The letter was authored by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a group made up of parents, health experts, educators and advocacy groups. Its mission is to protect children from the negative effects of consumer culture, with big tech often being in its headlights. In the letter, the group said it’s true that kids have lied about their age and signed up for the main Instagram app, but it said creating a children’s version of the app would be a disaster.

“In the elementary and middle school years, children experience incredible growth in their social competencies, abstract thinking, and sense of self,” the letter explained. “Finding outlets for self-expression and connection with their peers become especially important. We are concerned that a proposed Instagram for kids would exploit these rapid developmental changes.”

The letter goes to cite research and the fact most people know that social media can cause myriad problems for kids, such as the constant pressure to gain approval and the bullying and insecurity that can come from that. The group also pointed out that excessive screen time has been shown to have risk factors such as obesity, decreased happiness, eating disorders, poor sleep patterns, increased risk of depression and even increased risk of suicidal ideation.

“Instagram for kids is in the early planning stages,” concluded the group. “We urge you to abandon those plans. Doing so would send a strong message that Facebook understands the vast concerns about the effects its business model is having on young people, and is open to solutions that truly benefit children and teens, not just Facebook’s market share.”

In a statement to the media, Facebook said it has “started exploring” a kid’s Instagram, adding it will consult experts before it develops the app. Facebook said it will not show ads in the version, which is likely not going to change how the critics feel.

“The reality is that kids are online,” said Facebook. “They want to connect with their family and friends, have fun, and learn, and we want to help them do that in a way that is safe and age-appropriate. We also want to find practical solutions to the ongoing industry problem of kids lying about their age to access apps. We’re working on new age verification methods to keep under-13s off Instagram and we’re exploring an Instagram experience for kids that is age-appropriate and managed by parents.”

Photo: Nenad Stojkovic/Flickr