Kelvin Chan, MDT/AP Business Writer
Worried about your teen’s Instagram use? In response to increasing pressure to address online harm, Instagram has introduced a major update aimed at protecting teens and giving parents more control. With teens spending much of their time online, concerns about exposure to harmful content—like cyberbullying, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts—are growing. Figures like U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Prince Harry have raised alarms.
Critics acknowledge Instagram’s changes as progress but argue they still place too much responsibility on parents and children, rather than the platform. Here’s what the new teen accounts offer:
Teen accounts, for those under 18, are now private by default. This means teens must accept new followers, and others can’t view their posts, videos, or tag them without permission. Messaging is limited, too; teens can only receive direct messages from followers, while content settings are at their strictest, shielding them from sensitive topics like fighting or cosmetic procedures. Instagram’s anti-bullying features will filter offensive words in comments and messages.
To curb screen time, teens will receive reminders to stop using the app after one hour, though these can be ignored. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., a “sleep mode” mutes notifications and sends automatic replies, though teens can still browse Instagram and respond if they wish.
Teens aged 16 and 17 can disable these limits, but those under 16 will need parental permission. Parents can monitor and adjust controls via Instagram’s family center. Teens may attempt to bypass these restrictions by lying about their age, but Instagram is cracking down. The platform now requires users to verify their ages if they try to change their birthdate. Starting next year, Instagram will test AI to detect if users are lying about their age.
Teens and parents must both opt-in for supervision, and either can revoke it at any time. Parents wanting to monitor their teen’s account will need to create an Instagram account. A spokesperson emphasized the importance of parents familiarizing themselves with the platform to effectively supervise their children.
Parents seeking more control can set stricter limits. They’ll be able to see who their teen has exchanged messages with (but not the message content) and can limit daily screen time, cutting off Instagram once the limit is reached. They can also block access during specific hours and monitor the topics their teens are exposed to.
Setting up parental controls requires the teen to invite their parent via Instagram’s family center, with the teen having 48 hours to approve. Supervision features will automatically apply to new accounts for users under 18 in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. Existing accounts will transition to the new setup by mid-November. The European Union’s 27 countries will follow by year-end, with the global rollout expected in January, extending to other Meta services like Facebook in 2024.
Instagram’s updates mark a significant step toward improving teen safety online, but critics argue that the burden remains on families to enforce these measures, with the company still largely avoiding responsibility for managing harmful content.
[Abridged]
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