In a significant update to bolster digital safety, Instagram has launched new parental controls that provide parents with greater insight and oversight of their teenagers’ accounts.
The rollout, which began this week, underscores Instagram’s commitment to addressing increasing concerns about online safety among young users.
The enhanced parental controls include several key features.
Family Pairing allows parents to link their accounts with their teens, enabling them to monitor followers, interactions, and changes to account settings.
Content Management empowers parents to restrict the types of content their teenagers can view, helping to filter out harmful material and curate appropriate content on sensitive topics.
Interaction Controls enable parents to manage who can follow their teen and send them messages, effectively barring interactions with strangers and unwanted followers.
Additionally, through the Limiting Usage feature, parents can set daily screen time limits, promoting a healthier balance between online and offline activities.
Wellness Check Prompts will remind teens to reflect on social media use and encourage regular breaks to foster healthier habits.
To further support parents, Instagram has developed a suite of educational resources, including Digital Parenting Guides, workshops, and Webinars led by experts in child development and digital safety.
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, stated, “We know parents are concerned about their teenager’s online use and want more control over their experience.
We’re introducing these new features to help them feel more confident, keep their teens safe, and give them the space to express themselves.”
British parent Laura Johnson expressed optimism about the new controls, saying, “It’s encouraging to see Instagram taking these steps. It definitely will help us monitor and manage our kids’ interactions and content exposure for positive results online.“
This initiative aligns with a broader trend in the technology industry, as companies increasingly prioritize user safety and parental controls. Instagram’s move comes amid calls for more effective measures to protect young users from risks such as cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content.
The newly implemented controls serve as a proactive approach to balancing user safety with the autonomy of young social media users. They could potentially set a standard for other platforms seeking to enhance parental guidance and promote healthier online interactions.