Many teens have registered on social sites in the current century, with Instagram being one of them. Teens are more likely to have met someone online and been contacted by them. This is not surprising given the statistics of social media use among teens. However, what is alarming is how many of these contacts turn into an exchange of personal information or other risky behavior. This article will discuss Instagram’s new features for parents and what they should know about protecting their teens from internet predators.
Many teen social media users have seen someone be mean or cruel to another person on social media. This type of online behavior can lead to cyberbullying, depression, and even suicide in some cases. Instagram has rolled out new features for parents to monitor their teens more carefully to combat this issue. Unlike other social media websites, Instagram does not have a portal for parents to go into and see the content that their kids post. Parents can only access this information if they know their child’s password or use a tool called Screen Time parental controls. To access more detailed account information from your kid’s phone, make sure you have screen time enabled on your child’s Instagram app, which lets you see what they do on their device from any of your own devices.
What else should parents know about? How can parents best protect their children?
One particular area where parents need to be aware of is the “high-risk” areas for predators on Instagram. These include specific hashtags like #muscle, #gay, or #cute. These can be a huge red flag for predators who target these children. Another way that they target specific users is through likes and comments. Predators will favorite a teens’ post and then follow them with a comment about their photo asking for more information via direct message. A less intrusive way for parents to monitor their children is to follow them on Instagram. This way, you’ll be able to see all the posts and pictures they post, but you won’t be able to see their messages or who they are following.
Instagram is launching a new feature that will prevent people from tagging teens that do not follow them. This is important as it will stop online bullying and reduce the possibility of predators finding teens through their tagged photos. Lastly, Instagram makes sure that there are no “fake accounts” on their website. Kids create fake accounts on many social media websites to target others with anonymous messages. Still, this new feature will help prevent this from happening by verifying a person’s identity before allowing them to set up an account.
Instagram is also launching a “Take a Break” feature that will remind teens that they’ve been scrolling for too long and encourage them to take a break and do something else. This is important because teens who use social media for more than 2 hours per day are at risk of mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Taking a break will minimize exposure to all those negative things and allow teens to engage more with the real world.
Another feature they launched is called “Open Channel.” This feature will provide useful information for teens about mental health issues and other ways to get help if they feel bullied or depressed. This includes links to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and an interactive screening test for depression that provides immediate feedback after completion.
Instagram is also recommending relevant topics and posts trending on their website to increase exposure to positive content that will help them get through tough times. This includes hashtags like #positivequotes, #success, or #motivation. Posts that appear to have irrelevant or triggering hashtags will be hidden from the “Explore” page and won’t appear in any search results for the teenage accounts.
Instagram announced that it would have an educational feature for parents and children about the risks of using their website. The feature will be available in more than 30 languages. It will include topics like cyberbullying, hate speech, body image, and self-harm. The goal is to help parents understand what their children are doing on Instagram and how they can protect them from harm.
These new features are important for parents to be aware of as they help protect their children from harm. As a parent, you must stay updated with the latest changes on social media websites and make sure your child is using them safely. It’s also important that you talk to your kids about the risks of using social media and how they can protect themselves from predators and bullies. Having an open dialogue with your children will help them feel more comfortable talking to you if something happens online that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri calls for parents to talk to their children about the risks of social media. Mosseri also recommends that parents follow their children on Instagram to see what they’re posting. He says, “The less intrusive way for parents to monitor their children is to follow them on Instagram. This way, you’ll be able to see all the posts and pictures they post, but you won’t be able to see their messages or who they are following.” He also asks lawmakers to help regulate social media websites and make them safer for children. Perhaps the minimum age to have an Instagram account should be 13 years.
It’s important to remember that social media isn’t bad; it just has to be used safely. All these new features from Instagram are steps in the right direction to make social media a safer place for kids. As a parent, you must stay up to date with these changes and talk to your kids about using social media safely.
Instagram is taking bullying and cyberbullying seriously. They are working hard to create a safe environment for teens by preventing this activity from happening online and promoting positive messages to uplift these children in difficult times. Predators who target children online make it more important than ever for parents to monitor the content their kids post, which helps make this process easier for everyone involved while reducing the risk of anything negative happening on the internet.