13+

Instagram

Instagram is a popular social media app owned by Meta that allows users to create and share photos, videos and messages. They can share this information publicly with all users, or privately with their followers. People can access Instagram on a web browser or by downloading an app for mobile or Windows devices. There is also a virtual reality app.

Popular features on the app include Instagram Direct (sending private messages to one or more people), Instagram Reels (15-second videos), Instagram Stories (multiple photos and/or videos in one slideshow that automatically disappear after 24 hours) and Instagram Live (broadcasting a live video as it’s being filmed). Instagram is also known for the range of ‘filters’ users can apply to their photos and videos to change the way they look. Instagram has a digital assistant called Meta AI. Users can ask Meta AI questions and get information, text chat, use it to help search or to create content (including realistic fake imagery) on Instagram.

Instagram identifies under-18 accounts as ‘Teen Accounts’. These accounts have stronger privacy settings, which are applied by default. Teen accounts are private (anyone can see the account name, bio and profile photo, but only approved followers can see photos and videos shared by the account). Teen Accounts can only be messaged or added to a group chat by people they follow or have messaged before, and it is claimed that offensive words and sensitive content (e.g. violence) are filtered out of the app. Teens are reminded to leave the app after 60 minutes use per day and notifications are automatically muted overnight. Safety settings also include the ability to hide the number of likes people’s posts receive, to reduce the focus on comparing popularity. A user can also ‘reset’ their algorithm.

 

Instagram provides a parental supervision tool called ‘Instagram Family Centre’. With their child’s agreement, parents can use this to set time limits for their child’s Instagram account and see which accounts their child is following or has blocked as well as who follows them.  They are prompted to approve changes their child wants to make to privacy and safety settings such as viewing sensitive content, managing who can message them or add them to a group.

 

Access parental controls
or safety settings here