Meta Platforms recently unveiled a major shift in functions and features on Instagram, which it promises to improve privacy options as well as robust parental controls on the application for users under 18 years of age. It follows from growing concerns that social media applications are having a profound impact on young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
What Is a Teen Account?
With this redesign, Instagram will automatically convert accounts of users under the age of 18 into “Teen Accounts.” These accounts will be private by default, hence only allowing the users whom they follow to message or tag them. The goal here is to provide a safer online space for the younger users, therefore limiting exposure to interactions that may not be desired.
Important Features of Teen Accounts
Privacy Settings
Teen Accounts will have the most locked down settings on sensitive content, so that experience is safer.
Parental Controls
Teens under 16 will have to get parental consent to change their default settings. Parents will have many tools that track and give parents a way to control what their children are doing on the computer and manage their screen time.
Time Management
Instagram will prompt users younger than 18 years old to leave the application if they spend more than one hour daily on the app. Further, Instagram has also brought a default sleep mode that ensures a quiet environment overnight so that the social media application encourages healthier practices by young users in checking it.
Handling Problems via Social Media
Recent research has shown that social media is bound to cause more anxiety, depression, and inability to learn amongst teenagers. Meta, along with other streaming services including TikTok and YouTube, is also sued for the addictive nature of these services, especially when dealing with minors. There are some states in the U.S. that have criticized Meta for downsizing its risks and has been taken some tight grasp over responsibility.
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Conclusion
The roll-out of Teen Accounts by Meta is a great step towards the making of Instagram better for the safety and privacy of its younger users. Meta is trying to fight against growing awareness around the impact of social media on mental health through control measures as well as inducing healthier usage habits.
These updates, which will be rolled out in the United States, UK, Canada, and Australia in the next 60 days, but are expected to be expanded more throughout the European Union before the end of the year, reflect greater efforts at user safety. Social media challenges parents as well as guardians, so these new features are just a toolbox for searching around and guiding young users.
Yes, but a 14-year-old can have an Instagram account since the application allows its users to sign up who are 13 years of age and older; however, if they are under 18, then their account will automatically be converted into a Teen Account, which offers more privacy protection.
For minors, the company applies more stringent privacy settings: Instagram will convert their account into a Teen Account which, by default, is private. Furthermore, users under 18 years old will be prompted to set boundaries for using the application and have other related settings involving sensitive content.
It does not offer specific “kid accounts.” The service allows users aged 13 years and above to make accounts, but to make the service safer, it now offers features like Teen Accounts for users below 18 years. The new parental controls have helped parents monitor and manage their kids’ accounts better.
Although Instagram requires its users to be at least 13 years of age to create an account, it is worth considering whether the platform is suitable for younger users. The content and relationships on this platform might pose various risks to its users; hence, parents have to decide whether the platform is appropriate for their children. In a bid to control some of the risks that come with users below 18 years of age, there exist monitoring tools and features such as Teen Accounts.
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