New Sharable Amazon Feature Allows Teens To Buy With Parents Permission

Amazon's new feature is aiming to create a level of "autonomy," self reliance, with its younger users. The feature is available through Amazon Household. Each member under the Household account can share Amazon Prime Features.

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Amazon’s new feature is aiming to create a level of “autonomy,” self reliance, with its younger users. The feature is available through Amazon Household. Each member under the Household account can share Amazon Prime Features.

Micheal Everman, Tech Editor

Amazon’s new feature is aiming to create a level of “autonomy,” self reliance, with it’s younger users. The feature is intended for teenagers from thirteen to seventeen years old. With every purchase a notification is sent to the parents and they can choose to deny the purchase or accept the purchase.

The intention is clearly to make a sense of self reliance in it’s younger users by allowing them to purchase items by themselves. Amazon states, “The new service is meant to give teenagers, ages thirteen through seventeen, more autonomy.” The feature does have a limit to this freedom, parents can either receive a notification or set a spending limit setting.

For every purchase of an item, the parents will receive a notification via text or email, with a picture, description and price of the purchased item. Teens can also leave a note telling why they need a particular item. When parents receive the notification, they can approve the purchase by just replying to the automated message with a simple “Y” for yes.

“As a parent of a teen, I know how they crave independence, but at the same time that has to be balanced with the convenience and trust that parents need,” said Michael Carr, vice president of Amazon Households, in a statement about the launch. Carr continued with, “We’ve listened to families and have built a great experience for both teens and parents.” Household was a feature that was created in 2015 to mesh accounts in families for easier use.

Amazon Household was created for Amazon Prime members. The feature is available for one adult and up to four children to use simultaneously. According to Amazon.com, “With Amazon Household, in addition to sharing your access to the Prime FREE Two-Day shipping that you love, you and one other adult family member and four children will be able to share Prime Instant Video, Prime Early Access, and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.”

Since Amazon Prime features are available for all people on the Amazon Household account, every purchase is available to free two day shipping. The other accounts will also be able to share features like Prime video, and Prime early access. When denying a purchase, parents just don’t reply to the message or can go to the order page and deny it.