Introducing Instagram’s New Teen Accounts: What You Need To Know

Last Updated on 24th September 2024

Reading Time: 7.6 mins

Published: December 30, 2024

On 17th September, Instagram announced new safety settings for teenage users, based on their age, that will be “guided” by parents and carers to “better support parents, and give them peace of mind that their teens are safe with the right protections in place”. These new ‘teen accounts’ will be live in the UK within 60 days of the announcement.

The changes have received a variety of responses, with NSPCC stating that the changes are “a step in the right direction” but they “can put the emphasis on children and parents needing to keep themselves safe”.

What Ages Will Be Affected?

The features are optional for those aged 16 and over, but linked parents and carers accounts will be able to control the settings for young people aged 13-15.

Changing restrictions on 13-15-year-old accounts requires a parent or carer to be added to the young person’s Instagram account. This will include cooperation and consent from the young person in initiating the process. If they do not have a parent or carer linked to their account, they cannot change the restrictions.

What Are the New Features?

Private Accounts

Instagram will automatically set accounts for users under 18 to private. It is not optional for those aged 13-15.
A child aged 16 and over can make their account public after sign up.

With this, Instagram seeks to limit exposure to potential groomers and harmful content.

Restrictions on Sensitive Content

Although previously optional, restrictions for sensitive content will now automatically be set at the highest setting for under 18s.

This aims to limit the harmful content that young people are often exposed to on Instagram pages such as ‘Explore’ and ‘Reels’. These pages contain content from users that the young person does not follow, which increases the potential for inappropriate or harmful content to appear.

Instagram has specified that this includes content that shows people fighting and content that promotes cosmetic procedures.

Limited Interactions

Under 18s can only be tagged or mentioned by users that they follow.
The ‘Hidden Words’ feature, now enabled for all under 18s, will filter offensive words and phrases out of comments and direct message requests.

This is part of Instagram’s strategy to tackle cyberbullying on the platform.

Time Limit Reminders

After 60 minutes of use a day, Instagram will send under 18s a notification to suggest leaving the app.

This will encourage young people to take screen breaks.

Sleep Mode

This feature mutes notifications and sends automatic replies to direct messages between 10PM and 7AM.

This aims to minimise disruptions for young people during the night to improve their sleep.

Interested Topics

This teen-only feature allows users under 18 to select what type of content they want to see more of in their ‘Explore’ page.

This will help to provide tailored content that suits their interests.

©Instagram

Instagram’s ‘Supervision’ Feature

Instagram’s ‘Supervision’ feature has also been updated to include:

Insight Into Direct Messages – Parents and carers can see who their young person has communicated with via direct messages in the last seven days, but won’t be able to see the content of the messages.
Set Daily Time Limits – Parents and carers can set how much time their young person can spend on Instagram each day, with access to the app being withdrawn once they have reached their daily limit.
Block Use for Set Times – Parents and carers can restrict their young person from using Instagram at set times, such as at night or during school hours.
View Interested Topics – Parents and carers can view the topics their young person has selected to see more of on their ‘Explore’ page.

What is the Supervision feature?

Supervision is a set of tools that parents and carers can utilise to support their young people, aged 13-18, on Instagram. It is an optional feature, and both the adult and the young person must consent to it. It can be deactivated at any time by either person, but the other person will be notified.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages?

Advantages

Opportunity to set boundaries

Parents and carers can set controls in agreement with the young person so that they understand the reasons for the restrictions that are chosen.

Limits exposure to harmful content and users

The features surrounding private accounts and message permissions will limit young people’s exposure to potential groomers and harmful content on their ‘explore’ page.

Gives insight into young people’s online habits

Parents and carers will be able to monitor how young people use Instagram in a way that doesn’t breach their privacy.

Promotes healthy screen time habits

Young people are encouraged to take breaks and spend time away from the app.

Adaptable to fit individual needs

As parents and carers can choose how much to restrict, it means they can decide what is best depending on how much responsibility they want to give to the young person.

Disadvantages

Requires cooperation and consent from the young person

Many young people will be reluctant to have their parent or carer attached to their account as their social media is an important part of their life and it might seem intrusive to them.

Only effective if used correctly

As the settings require a parent or carer to be attached to the young person’s account, the benefits only can be implemented if the parent or carer takes the initiative to use the controls effectively. Ofcom has previously expressed concerns over parents and carers’ eagerness to be vigilant when it comes to their children’s online safety, and Sir Nick Clegg, senior Meta executive, said: “even when we build these controls, parents don’t use them”.

Only works if correct age is provided

Children and young people will often lie about their age before they turn 13 in order to get past age restrictions, with a report by Ofcom showing that 40% of children aged between 8-17 have given a fake age to access social media. This can affect their safety settings in the future as Instagram may still believe they are older than they really are.

Restricted access may lead to alternative measures

Restrictive measures may cause children and young people to use a fake age to seek lighter restrictions on their account.

Passes responsibility of reducing exposure to harmful content away from platforms

Parents and carers are having to take responsibility for possibly exposing their young people to online harms, rather than Instagram taking proactive measures to prevent harmful content existing on the platform at all.

Overreliance on technology and parental controls

Parental controls are not foolproof as these measures can only limit exposure to online harms, not stop them completely.

Tips for Parents and Carers

Navigating the safety features of online platforms is an ongoing challenge. We have put together some tips to help balance Instagram’s safety features with offline methods for promoting healthy social media use.

Utilise Parental Controls Effectively

Make use of the safety features to take the essential steps towards making the online experience safer for children and young people. You can use Our Safety Centre for help with this, as well as information on how to block and report other users.

Discuss with the child or young person why you have chosen the selected restrictions and come to an agreement as this will help them feel involved and in control. If they feel that you have breached their privacy and taken over their account without consent, it may lead them to lie about their online habits.

As the child or young person gets older, you may wish to alter the restrictions, so review them frequently.

Check Their Age

Ask the young person to show you that the date of birth they have submitted to Instagram is correct, explaining that the controls in place are there for their safety and to enhance their experience, not take away from it.

Consider Individual Needs

Each child’s ability to take responsibility for their online experience varies by age, character and resilience. Tailor the restrictions to best suit them – you know them best!

Monitor and Model

It’s not simply enough to set the controls that Instagram offer, you need to implement offline methods alongside this to make them as effective as possible. Consistently monitor your child’s online habits through open conversations and showing interest in their activity.

Model good online behaviours yourself, as young people often look to their parents or carers as an example! Seek to act appropriately online and manage your screen time.

Have Open Conversations

Take time with the child or young person to talk about their online habits in a positive environment that is free from judgement. Ask open-ended questions like, “why do you like using Instagram?” or “what sort of content do you like seeing?” This will encourage them to be more honest about their habits and come to you if they have questions.

Ensure they know who their trusted adults are if they need to discuss something they have seen online that is harmful or has made them uncomfortable.

Explore The Platform Together

The best way to widen your knowledge on the platform is to use it yourself! You can even ask the child or young person to show you how it works, which will also help them feel involved.

Teach Online Safety

Educate the child or young person on how to use social media safely, including reporting and blocking content that is harmful. Empowering them to make smarter online decisions will ultimately keep them safer!