The petition to Facebook reads:

"Don’t create a version of Instagram for kids under 13."

Excessive use of digital devices and social media is harmful to adolescents. Armed with that information, instead of blocking minors from Instagram, Facebook has decided to target even younger children. Previously, children under 13 were prohibited from having an Instagram account not run by a parent or manager. But if Mr. Zuckerberg has his way, that will soon change.

According to an internal memo published by BuzzFeed, Facebook plans to build a version of Instagram specifically for young, impressionable children under age 13.

Sign the petition to tell Facebook to abandon its plans to target young children on Instagram.

Even as full-grown adults, the problems with social media are brutally apparent and often hard to maneuver — the feelings of inadequacy, the overblown focus on consumerism, and the skewed self-image it creates. But while adults may be able to handle these very real issues, children under the age of 13 most certainly cannot.

A growing body of research demonstrates that excessive use of digital devices and social media is harmful to adolescents. Instagram, in particular, exploits young people’s fear of missing out and desire for peer approval to encourage children and teens to constantly check their devices and share photos with their followers. The platform’s relentless focus on appearance, self-presentation, and branding presents challenges to adolescents’ privacy and wellbeing.

Children deserve a childhood free from the grips of social media platforms like Instagram. Sign the petition and urge Facebook to scrap its plans to build an Instagram platform for kids.