Instagram's New Teen Accounts: What Parents Need to Know About the Latest Safety Features
Instagram’s made some big moves recently by launching Teen Accounts—a total game-changer for teens and their parents. The goal? To give parents some peace of mind, knowing their kids are having safe experiences on the platform without worrying about sketchy content or unwanted messages. Let's break it down.
What Are Instagram Teen Accounts?
Basically, Instagram Teen Accounts are designed to help teens navigate social media in a safer way. They’ve packed in a bunch of protections that automatically limit who can contact teens, what kind of content they see, and how much time they spend on the app. Teens under 16 also can’t mess with these settings without getting the go-ahead from a parent first.
Why Teen Accounts Are a Big Deal for Parents
Look, we all know social media can be a double-edged sword. It’s awesome for connecting with friends and checking out cool stuff, but it can also expose teens to things they really shouldn’t be seeing. That’s where these new protections come in. With Teen Accounts, you get:
Private Accounts: Teens start with a private account by default, meaning they get to approve who follows them, and anyone they don’t follow can’t see their posts.
Restricted Messaging: No random DMs from strangers. Teens can only get messages from people they already follow.
Sensitive Content Blocked: Instagram automatically cuts down on the amount of sensitive content (like violent or overly mature topics) that teens might stumble across in places like Explore or Reels.
Tagging and Mentions Control: Only people teens follow can tag or mention them in posts.
Anti-Bullying Features: Offensive comments and DMs get filtered out, thanks to a feature called Hidden Words. It's like having an automatic shield against nasty stuff online.
Time to Log Off, Teens!
There’s also something to help with screen time, which, let’s be real, is a battle every parent knows all too well. Teen Accounts send teens reminders to log off after 60 minutes, and there’s a Sleep Mode that kicks in from 10 PM to 7 AM, shutting down notifications so teens can actually catch some Zs.
Parents Have the Power
Now, if your teen is under 16, you’re in charge of approving any changes they want to make to these built-in protections. So, if they try to loosen up any settings, they’ll need you to sign off. And if you want even more control, you can activate Parental Supervision. This lets you see things like:
Who they’ve been messaging (don’t worry, you won’t be able to read their actual chats)
How much time they’re spending on Instagram
What topics they’re into
It’s all about keeping parents in the loop without being too intrusive.
What About Older Teens?
If your teen is over 16, these protections are still in place, but they can adjust some of the settings themselves. That said, if you want to be more involved, you can easily switch on Parental Supervision to approve or deny any changes.
Making Sure It Works
Of course, we all know teens might try to lie about their age to get around these rules. Instagram’s on top of it, though. They’re rolling out tech to verify ages and automatically place teens into Teen Accounts even if they try to claim they’re older.
When Will You See These Changes?
Starting today, teens signing up for Instagram will be put into Teen Accounts. Teens who already have Instagram will get a heads-up about these changes soon, and within the next 60 days, we’ll see this new setup in places like the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. For everyone else, these updates should roll out by January.
So, there you have it! Instagram Teen Accounts are here to make sure your teens are having fun, staying safe, and avoiding any of the drama that can sometimes come with social media. As parents, you get the extra security of knowing you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to your teen’s online experience.
Hey there I’m Kylie Simao, owner of a boutique social media marketing agency dedicated to helping new, local and small businesses who want to promote themselves online using social media.