Instagram Rolls Out Teen Safety Features: What Parents Need to Know

The fourth most popular teen social media network is taking significant steps to protect those users.

Meta has announced major changes to its Instagram platform, aimed at enhancing the safety of its teenage users. These changes include preventing non-followers from seeing teens' posts, restricting usage time, and allowing parents to monitor their children's interactions. Three of parents' greatest concerns.

Key Changes for Teen Accounts

Privacy by Default: All teen accounts will be set to private, ensuring that only approved followers can view their posts and send them messages.Content Restrictions: Sensitive and inappropriate content will be limited by default.Parental Supervision: Parents will have the ability to see who their teens are chatting with and set daily time limits for Instagram usage. Instagram will automatically prevent use by teenagers between the hours of 10 PM and 7 AM.Age Verification: Stricter age verification measures will be implemented to prevent underage users from creating adult accounts.

The new settings apply to all Instagram accounts held by people 18 and under 17 and 18-year-olds can turn their profiles to public but those held by 16 year olds and younger will need parental approval.

Impact and Effectiveness

These changes represent a significant step by a social media platform to address concerns about online safety for young people. However, their effectiveness remains to be seen. Meta, Instagram's parent company, risks losing teen users who may prefer platforms with fewer restrictions.

While these new features are a positive development, it's important for parents to remain actively involved in their teens' online activities. Open communication and education about responsible social media use are crucial for ensuring a safe and positive online experience.

Nearly half of U.S. teenagers use Instagram at least once a day according to Pew Research. New default settings are rolling out now.