Instagram has launched Teen Accounts, designed to improve the online experience for teens by automatically implementing built-in protections.
These safeguards limit who can contact teens, the content they encounter, and aim to ensure that their time on the app is spent wisely.
This new initiative also reassures parents by providing a safer environment for their children to explore social media.
Key Features of Teen Accounts
Teens will now benefit from multiple security features that are automatically activated. Teens under 16 will require parental approval before adjusting any settings to make the account less strict. These built-in protections include:
- Private Accounts: Teens will have default private accounts, requiring them to approve new followers. People who aren’t following them won’t be able to view their content or interact with them.
- Messaging Restrictions: Teens can only receive messages from people they follow or are already connected to.
- Sensitive Content Controls: Teens will be placed in the most restrictive setting of Instagram’s sensitive content control, limiting exposure to content such as violent videos or posts promoting cosmetic procedures.
- Limited Interactions: Only people they follow can tag or mention teens in posts. Additionally, the strongest version of Instagram’s anti-bullying feature, Hidden Words, will be activated to filter out offensive language from comments and messages.
- Time Management Tools: Notifications will remind teens to leave the app after 60 minutes of use each day.
- Sleep Mode: Between 10 PM and 7 AM, notifications will be muted, and teens’ direct messages will receive auto-replies.
Parental Oversight and Permissions
For teens under 16, parents will have control over whether their child can make changes to these protective settings. Parents can enable parental supervision on Instagram, allowing them to approve or deny changes to account settings.
If desired, parents of older teens (16+) can also opt to have supervision and direct control over account adjustments. In the near future, Instagram will allow parents to change these settings to be more protective without needing approval from the teen.
Parents will also have more ways to monitor their teen’s activity:
- Messaging Insights: Although parents won’t be able to read messages, they can view who their teen has communicated with over the past seven days.
- Time Limits: Parents can set daily time limits for Instagram use. Once the limit is reached, teens will be unable to access the app.
- Blocking Usage Periods: Parents can block Instagram usage during specific periods, such as nighttime, with the push of a button.
Expert Endorsements and Age Verification Measures
The American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health has endorsed these changes.
Dr. Megan Moreno, co-medical director at the Center, emphasized the importance of privacy and safety settings being default features to relieve the burden on parents. She’s positive about hearing teens’ experiences with Teen Accounts and the new settings.
Rachel Rodgers, PhD, associate professor of Applied Psychology at Northeastern University, also noted that these protections align with the developmental needs of adolescents. The age-specific settings for younger and older teens offer a tailored approach to online safety.
Instagram has acknowledged that teens may sometimes lie about their age to bypass restrictions. To address this, the platform will require age verification in more areas and use new technology to detect and secure accounts that appear to belong to teens.
These systems will be tested in the U.S. early next year, with the goal of finding and applying teen protections even to accounts misrepresenting their age.
Ensuring Age-Appropriate Content
To ease concerns about teens encountering inappropriate content, Instagram has enhanced its guidelines for content exposure. Any material that breaks the platform’s rules is removed, and the new Teen Accounts will further restrict sensitive content, such as sexually suggestive material or posts discussing self-harm or suicide.
Rollout of Teen Accounts
Starting today, all new teen sign-ups will automatically be placed into Teen Accounts. Existing teen users will receive notifications about these changes, and Instagram will begin transitioning them into Teen Accounts next week.
This process will be completed in 60 days for users in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. Teen users in the European Union will see these changes later this year, with a global rollout expected in January 2024. These updates will eventually extend to other Meta platforms next year.
Lucy Thomas OAM, CEO and co-founder of Project Rockit, described Instagram’s changes as a balanced approach, offering essential parental oversight while allowing teens to participate meaningfully and safely in the online space.
“These updates to Instagram’s Teen Accounts offer a balanced approach, empowering parents with essential oversight while respecting teens’ right to participate and explore. In an ever-evolving online world, this update ensures that young people can engage meaningfully and safely, fostering positive connections while still providing the protection they need.” Lucy Thomas OAM, CEO & co-founder, Project Rockit
The initiative is part of Instagram’s mission to adapt to the evolving online industry and provide a safer environment for its younger users while supporting parental involvement.
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