Instagram has taken a significant step to protect young users and provide more control to parents concerned about their teen’s social media use. With worries about the negative impact of platforms like Instagram, new measures have been put in place to address issues such as cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content.
The changes include setting teen accounts to private by default, giving teenagers the ability to accept or reject follower requests, and restricting who can send them direct messages. Additionally, there are stricter content settings to filter out sensitive topics and an anti-bullying feature that screens offensive language in comments and messages.
Teens will also receive notifications to limit their screen time and a sleep mode that activates from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. to reduce app usage during nighttime hours. While these restrictions are automatically applied to all teens, those aged 16 and 17 have the option to disable them with parental approval required for younger users.
To prevent teens from misrepresenting their age to bypass these restrictions, Instagram is implementing technology to detect underage users even if they input a false birthdate. Both teens and parents must agree to supervision, with the ability to opt-out at any time. Parents without Instagram accounts are encouraged to create one to access parental controls and oversee their teen’s activity.
For parents seeking additional oversight, there are supervisory controls that allow monitoring of messaging activity and setting limits on daily usage. Parents can restrict the amount of time their teen spends on the platform, block access during specific hours, and manage the type of content their teen can view.
To activate parental controls, teens need to enable family supervision on their account and invite a parent to join. This process involves sending an invitation link via text message and confirming the parent’s response within 48 hours. New Instagram users under 18 in certain countries will be automatically enrolled in restricted teen accounts, with existing accounts being transferred accordingly.
These changes are aimed at promoting a safer online environment for young users and empowering parents to take a more active role in monitoring their teen’s social media activity. The enhanced features and controls seek to strike a balance between allowing teens independence while ensuring their online safety.