While the Like button may have integrated websites to Facebook, the companies newest option, the “Panic Button” could actually help save lives.
Built to help fend off cyber bullying, the new button encourages users to report bullying, cyber abuse and other “suspicious activities” that users see through the social networking website.
Launched in the UK, the button when pressed sends teens to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) resources website, a free organizations operated by the UK Government. On the website teens can find information about dealing with bullying, while reporting users as they deem necessary.
Underage users (as stated by their Facebook profile age) will see the button on their Facebook homepage.
While the tool may help some teens, there is still the worry that it could be abused, allowing teens to team up on other teens to report them for offenses they have not committed. There could also potentially be confusion as to when the button should be used, which may cause some teens to shy away from the panic button all together.
So what do you think, is the Facebook panic button a good idea or another confusion tool for Facebook users? I’m all for helping kids who are being attacked online, I just hope the button is implemented in a responsible way by Facebook and more importantly their users.
