Instagram Teen Accounts is a new tool that Meta has introduced to improve safety on the site for minors under the age of sixteen.
The functionality was released on Tuesday and has built-in safeguards to: Filter offensive content, Restrict undesired interactions and Give parents more authority over the social media use of their children Important Safety Elements:
Private Accounts: Content is hidden from non-followers and teens must approve new followers.
Restrictions on Messaging: Only users they follow can send messages to teenagers. Teens are put in the most restrictive environments when it comes to sensitive content limits.
Time Limits & Sleep Mode: Notifications are muffled between 10 PM and 7 AM, and teens are reminded to take breaks after 60 minutes.
Features of Parental Supervision: Limit daily usage, block usage during specific times, keep an eye on who your teenagers are messaging Parental consent is needed for teenagers under 16 to change the protective settings.
President of the National PTA Yvonne Johnson commended Meta for emphasising the safety of young people, and CEO and co-founder of Project Rockit Lucy Thomas OAM praised the approach’s balance in empowering parents and upholding the rights of teenagers. The goal of these changes is to give parents comfort in knowing that their teenagers are safer online.
