Facebook a mechanism to inform young users about safe and responsible use of the Internet. In an effort to correct the negative climate, it created the Youth Portal.
The Facebook Youth Portal includes general guides, safety information and, most importantly, a brief overview of Facebook's data usage policy. The portal is available in 60 languages and is divided into three different sections: Facebook Basics, Peer Voices and the Safety Centre. In more detail:
Facebook Basics
This section can be considered a general guide to Facebook's features. The building blocks of Facebook, including Profiles, Pages, Groups, and Events, are explained in detail, in a fun yet engaging way, designed to engage young people. It also includes security and privacy tips to follow when using the platform.
Guiding Principles and Teen Blog
Facebook understands the influence of peers on young people. Therefore, the Peer Voices section presents a series of guiding principles that can be followed by young people in order to stay away from all kinds of problems that anyone can face when entering the world of social networking for the first time. Children can also read related posts in this section.
Safety Guidelines
This section is dedicated not only to young people but also to adults. Users can learn about Facebook's security policies, the tools they can use to protect their data and identity on the social networking platform, and the resources provided to users to stay safe online.
According to Facebook, the Youth Portal has been developed after discussions with teenagers from different countries, including Italy, the United Kingdom, Brazil and the United States.
Through this Portal, Facebook has somehow tried to bridge the gap between internet companies and the new generation. It may also assuage criticism of the lack of an official unit that outlines the set of rules and best practices for all the new users who participate in the social networks on a daily basis.
