Instagram rolls out improved parental controls for teen accounts
The rollout of the features, which began this week, demonstrates Instagram's seriousness about growing concerns over online safety to ensure a safer experience of social media with young users
In one of the biggest updates to increase digital safety, Instagram is introducing new parental controls that will provide parents with a deeper understanding and more control over the accounts of their teens.
The rollout of the features, which began this week, demonstrates Instagram‘s seriousness about growing concerns over online safety to ensure a safer experience of social media with young users.
New Controls and Features
Key features of the revised parental controls include:
1. Family Pairing: A new feature that allows parents to link their account with their teen’s. Once these are linked, parents can see their teen’s followers and accounts they interact with, and who has shown interest in their teen’s content. They will also be able to know when their teens change anything in their account settings or when new followers arrive.
2. Content Management: Parents can now restrict the kind of content their teenagers can view. They can filter out all potentially harmful content and curate what the teenager views on sensitive topics. This feature is another way to keep teens away from unsuitable content and helps create a safer environment for browsing.
3. Interaction Controls: Parents can manage who follows their teen and sends them messages. Interactions with strangers and unwanted followers can, therefore, be barred, thus allowing one extra layer of security and privacy.
4. Limiting Usage: Parents are able to set time limits on how much screen time teenagers spend on Instagram each day. This feature will prompt a better balance in the teenager’s online and offline activities to avoid excessive screen time.
5. Wellness Check Prompts: Teens will now be prompted to reflect on their social media use and take regular breaks if they’re spending too much time on the app. This is meant to help young users develop healthier habits and be more mindful of how they spend their time on the app.
Educational Resources for Parents
Along with those features, Instagram has built a robust set of resources that help parents navigate the ever-changing digital landscape. These include:
* Digital Parenting Guides: Comprehensive guides and tips on how parents manage the online presence of teenagers and help them inculcate healthy social media habits.
* Workshops and Webinars: Experts in child development and digital safety lead web sessions with practical advice and strategies for parents.
Official Statements
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram: “We know parents are concerned about their teenager’s online use and want more control over their experience. That’s why we’re introducing these new features to help them feel more confident and keep their teens safe-while also giving teens the space to express themselves and connect with others they care about.
For Laura Johnson, a British parent of two teenage children, the new controls are a step in the right direction. “It’s encouraging to see Instagram taking these steps. It definitely will help us in monitoring and managing our kids for their interactions and content exposure for positive results online.”
Future Implications
It is a wider trend seen across the technology industry, with companies putting user safety and parental controls at the fore. Instagram has now made this move amid calls for more effective measures in protecting young users from a variety of online risks, which include cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content.
These controls thereby serve as a proactive means of balancing safety for users with the autonomy of young social media users. As digital engagement continues to evolve, it could be that these new features from Instagram set the pace for other platforms in search of parental guidance and online interaction that is healthier.
Reporting by Emmanuel Quiacoe in Accra
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