Instagram is rolling out Teen Accounts in a move aimed at improving the safety and well-being of its younger users. The social media platform, owned by Meta, has come under scrutiny for its impact on children’s mental and physical health. This latest development promises to offer more protection to teens online, giving parents greater control over their children’s social media presence.
New Safety Measures
As of this week, Instagram will begin assigning Teen Accounts to new users under 16, while existing teen users will be notified about the upcoming changes. These accounts come with built-in protections designed to safeguard teens from harmful interactions, inappropriate content, and unhealthy digital habits. Initially, this feature will be rolled out in countries like the US, UK, Canada, and Australia over the next 60 days. A broader global rollout, including the European Union, will follow by early next year.
For teens under 16, these accounts will offer default privacy settings, message restrictions, and content filters. Teens will need parental approval to make any of these settings less strict, ensuring parents can monitor their child’s online activities.
Key Features of Teen Accounts
The Teen Accounts come with several new protective features:
- Default private accounts: New teen users will automatically have private accounts, meaning only approved followers can see their content or engage with them. Teens already using Instagram will be moved into this setup as well.
- Strict messaging limits: Teens will only be able to send and receive messages from people they follow or are already connected to. This limits the chance of inappropriate contact from strangers.
- Sensitive content restrictions: Teens will be shielded from exposure to potentially harmful content, such as violence or cosmetic procedure promotions. These settings apply to Explore and Reels.
- Limited interactions: Instagram is reducing unwanted tagging and mentions by restricting them to users teens already follow. Offensive comments or harmful phrases will be automatically filtered out through the Hidden Words feature.
- Time management tools: Teens will receive daily reminders to limit their Instagram usage to 60 minutes. Additionally, Instagram will automatically activate Sleep Mode between 10 PM and 7 AM, silencing notifications and sending auto-replies to messages.
Parental Involvement
The new system gives parents a stronger role in managing their child’s Instagram experience. Teens will need a parent’s permission to loosen any safety settings, ensuring that these protective measures stay in place unless actively changed by a parent. This increased control offers parents peace of mind while giving teens a safer social media environment.
Future Developments
Instagram also plans to extend Teen Accounts to other Meta platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp, in 2025. With these updates, Meta is positioning itself as a leader in teen safety on social media, responding to growing concerns about the negative impact of unregulated online spaces on young people.
In summary, Instagram’s new Teen Accounts aim to make the platform a safer place for teens, giving both users and parents more control over their social media experiences. As these accounts become available globally, they represent a significant step forward in protecting minors in the digital age.
This article is based on factual information available on third-party websites, which has been carefully confirmed and verified during the research process. It is recommended to check any required information. I do not hold any rights over the used image; it is sourced from India Today via Google Images.
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