On September 17, Meta announced the launch of Instagram Teen Accounts, which have “built-in protections that limit who can contact them and what content they see,” Meta said in a blog post. The sweeping update will automatically place teens into Teen Accounts, and children under 16 will then need a parent’s permission to change privacy and restriction settings.
Meta clearly explained the reason for the app’s major update, citing parental concerns that teens might have “unsafe or inappropriate experiences” while scrolling through content on Instagram. “We designed Teen Accounts with parents and teens in mind. The new Teen Account protections are designed to address parents’ biggest concerns, including who their teens are talking to online, what content they’re seeing, and whether they’re using their time wisely,” the blog post said.
“Everyone under 18, including creators, will be put into youth accounts,” Naomi Gleit, head of product at Meta, told NBC News. “They can stay public if their parents are involved, give them permission and monitor the account. But these are pretty big changes that we need to get right.”
Meta has “got a lot of feedback from parents, mainly on a few things,” Gleit said. “First, it could be simpler and more user-friendly, and that’s one of the goals of this launch,” she said. “Second, there are some inconsistencies in the current settings that we have. … And third, they just want to have more control and tools to help their teens online.”
But beyond parental fears, in recent years many have focused on the impact of social media on teen mental health. In 2021, a whistleblower and reams of leaked documents revealed that Facebook (which later changed its name to Meta, the company that owns Instagram) knew about the negative impact its app was having on teen mental health.
It remains to be seen how these changes will actually work and how effective they will be at protecting young people’s privacy online. For now, however, the proposed changes seem to be big for both teens and parents. So what does the update include and how will these teen accounts actually work? Here’s everything you need to know:
The Basics of Instagram Accounts for Teens
Instagram accounts for teens are set to private by default and teen users must accept new followers on an individual basis. Just like the normal private account setting, people who don’t follow you won’t be able to see your content or interact with you. Teens under 16 will need parental permission to change this privacy setting. This comes with “the strictest messaging settings” that limit people you follow or already have mutual contacts with from sending you messages.
While the new accounts offer the option to influence your algorithm by directly choosing what you want to see more of, they also have the most restrictive control over sensitive content. Meta notes that all sensitive content will be restricted on the Explore page and in Reels, including things like “content that shows people fighting or promotes cosmetic procedures.” And because we all get lost in doomscrolling, every day the app reminds you after 60 minutes to log off so you can go outside and touch some grass. Between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., notifications will be muted and your direct messages will be automatically replied to.
Do I have to follow these rules?
If you’re under 16, yes, unless your parents allow you not to. Instagram users under 16 need their parents’ permission to use less protective settings, according to Meta. To do this, they’ll need to set up an Instagram parental supervision account. Once that account is active, parents can approve or deny your request to change those settings. If you’re 16 or older, your parents can still set up a supervision account, but it’s not necessary to change some of these restrictions.
