Is Instagram safe for kids?
Instagram lets users connect with others, find communities with similar interests and explore creative ways to express themselves. However, not all content is appropriate for every user. Like any social media platform, there are risks to consider.
Communication with strangers
When someone posts a picture or video on their public profile, anyone can interact with it. Your child can comment on content or respond to others’ comments, even if they don’t know the person offline.
In most cases, these interactions are harmless. However, some strangers might seek to harm, so it’s important to limit this risk.
Ensure your child has a private profile, and customise their communication settings to stay safe.
Inappropriate or unwanted content
Instagram’s algorithm ‘learns’ from the actions its users take as well as their demographics. This helps to suggest new content a user might like. For example, if someone watches and likes a lot of cat videos, they will receive suggestions for more cat videos.
However, this can sometimes lead to content they don’t want to see. Sometimes influencers will grow their followers based on one type of content but then share a different type of content. For example, a lot of followers of Andrew Tate say they enjoy his fitness and finance content. However, he also shares a lot of misoynistic content. So, those looking for fitness content might accidentally get caught up in the misogynistic content as well.
You can help your child customise their feed to limit the unwanted content. Adding hidden words is just one way to do this.
Spending too much time scrolling
Instagram uses what’s called persuasive design. This is where a platform uses techniques to keep users engaged on the platform. One of the biggest elements of this for Instagram is the endless scrolling feature.
Because users can keep scrolling to reveal new content, users can accidentally spend hours engaging with content. So, if your teen uses Instagram, make sure you set up screen time limits so they receive regular reminders to take breaks.
Teen accounts
Instagram has introduced ‘teen accounts’ which automatically turn on all privacy features for accounts where the owner is 13-17 years of age. These features include:
- Making the account private
- Only being able to message accounts they follow
- Sensitive content restrictions
- Filtering out offensive language
- Time limit reminders to prevent excessive screen time
Teens 16 and older will be able to switch these settings off themselves, but teens under 16 will need a parent’s permission to change any of the built-in protections to be less strict.
Learn how to manage your child’s teen account in our parental controls guide.