Instagram has recently introduced a new update aimed at protecting young users and giving parents more control over their teen’s account. With concerns rising about the harmful content that teens may encounter on social media platforms, Instagram has implemented new restrictions for teen accounts. These restrictions include setting the account to private by default, limiting messaging capabilities, and applying strict content settings to filter out sensitive topics. Additionally, teens will receive notifications to limit their screen time and enter sleep mode during specified hours.
While these restrictions will be automatically turned on for all teen accounts, 16 and 17-year-olds will have the authority to disable them. However, those under 16 will require parental permission to make changes to their account settings, giving parents the ability to approve or deny any requests in the family center. Instagram is also working on implementing artificial intelligence technology to detect the true age of users, even if they claim to be older. This feature aims to prevent teens from lying about their age to bypass the restrictions.
For parents who want to further control their teen’s account, Instagram offers supervisory controls. These controls allow parents to see who their teen has messaged within the past seven days and limit the amount of time their teen spends on the app each day. Parents can also block their teen from using Instagram during specific times and monitor the content topics that their teen is exposed to. Setting up parental controls involves the teen enabling family supervision on their account and inviting a parent to join.
Teens under 18 who sign up for Instagram in certain countries will automatically be enrolled into a restricted teen account. Existing accounts will be transferred to this new setup, with the rollout expanding to other regions in the coming months. The introduction of these teen accounts on Instagram reflects the platform’s efforts to address the concerns around online safety and promote responsible use of social media among younger users. Parents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the platform to effectively supervise their teens and ensure a safe online experience.
