Twenty-four percent of the U.S. population is under 18 years of age. This group of consumers wields billions of dollars in purchasing power. They are either making purchases themselves or they are affecting the purchases their parents make. Many companies want to capitalize on these dollars. Both eBay and Facebook are creating strategies to do just that.
Currently, eBay is exploring ways to allow consumers under 18 to set up legitimate accounts to buy and sell goods. Children already trade on the site, either through their parents' accounts or through their own accounts where they have lied about their age.
Similarly, even though children under 13 are not allowed to set up Facebook accounts, about 7.5 million of them have accounts and nearly 5 million account holders are under 10 years old. This translates to almost 20 percent of U.S. 10-year olds and 70 percent of 13-year olds active on Facebook.
Many of these accounts were set up with parental knowledge and consent. Both eBay and Facebook say that protections will be put in place on children's accounts and that parents will be able to monitor their children's accounts.
Discuss the pros and cons of allowing these companies to target children. Are these practices socially responsible?
Do some research before you post. You may want to review the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act at www.coppa.org to understand how eBay and Facebook can target this market and still comply with regulations.