Meta Introduces Instagram Teen Accounts

Meta Platforms (META) has officially launched Instagram Teen Accounts to bolster online safety of the younger generation.

The users under 18 will automatically be placed into these new accounts, which control messaging, content visibility, and enable tighter parental controls.

“This new experience is designed to better support parents, and give them peace of mind that their teens are safe with the right protections in place,” Meta said in a blog post.

Earlier this year, Meta had promised to roll out additional safety features, following accusations in the U.S. and Europe regarding the safety of young users.

To combat addictive behavior, the social media company has introduced time limit reminders after one hour each day, and sleep mode from 10 pm to 7 am to encourage healthy sleeping.

“Instagram Teen Accounts reflect the importance of tailoring teens’ online experiences to their developmental stages, and implementing appropriate protections. Younger adolescents are more vulnerable as their skills are still emerging and require additional safeguards and protection. Overall, the settings are age-specific, with younger and older teens being offered different protections,” Rachel Rodgers, Associate Professor of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University, said.

Moreover, parents can now get insights into their teens chat box, set total daily time limits, block teens from using Instagram for specific time periods, and monitor the topics their teen is looking at.

The tech giant is planning to implement the changes within 60 days in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, with a roll out in “Teen Accounts in the European Union later this year”.