Facebook no longer only exist on your computer screen, but has quickly moved onto the mobile, you, me and almost all of us walk around with. Now the company, we Norwegians love more than almost everyone else in the world (second only to Iceland who recently claimed the top spot from us) have released a new feature that lets me, you and all of us find out where all our friends on Facebook are. Through the Facebook’s app you have on your mobile you will be able to quickly locate all your friends that are nearby, and allow them to locate you. This is done through the phones GPS so the accuracy is extremely good.
Exciting or scary? Scary, I think! Would I like to find friends in the vicinity and grab a coffee at the spur of the moment?Definitely! That would be nice. In addition, it is a feature that I can decide to turn on and off, and as an adult I should be able to watch after myself. At least I think so. Or could this create a problem? Hmmm ... Unfortunately, I can imagine that I - at least a few years ago when I lived the uncomplicated student life – easily could use the feature without really thinking about the consequences. Especially, if everyone else did.
And you have to be pretty naïve not to think that kids will start using this feature as well. Yes - it's 13 year age limit on Facebook, but a few days ago I wrote about my new young friend on facebook. "Ola" had never met me before, and I had never met him, but he had no hesitation to intiate a chat with me and speak freely and openly with me. I have several other young friends on Facebook too, and they all have mobile phones. Many use Internet on their mobile daily. That’s the reality!
The Facebook children are young. They have mobile. They are on the Web - on PC and mobile. They have many Facebook friends - both adults and children. They are trusting. They are naive. And they definitely do not share everything with my mum and dad. And such a service will be awful lot of love.
It's "crazy cool"! Or?
The discussion about the location of children is monitored or not, is exciting. It is an important discussion. The discussion of whether the minor children shall be able to decide if they can freely give himself chose the second option to locate itself, is just as important. Would I as a 15 year old girl have understood the potential implication of allowing all my Facebook network of perhaps 300 people could locate me?
Unfortunately, I do not believe it ....
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