Meta has begun rolling out Teen Accounts for its Instagram which are designed to protect users under the age of eighteen by controlling who may contact them and what information they can view.
Several studies have connected social media use, especially among younger users, to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and learning difficulties.
This change is meant to address growing worries about teens’ exposure to harmful social media.
In a Tuesday announcement, Meta stated that all accounts held by individuals under the age of eighteen would be immediately transferred to Instagram Teen Accounts, which are private.
These accounts limit who can communicate and tag them to accounts they follow or are already connected to. They also limit sensitive material settings to the most stringent ones.
According to Meta, parents will receive a set of options that will allow them to limit their kids’ app usage and keep an eye on who they interact with.
“We know parents want to feel confident that their teens can use social media to connect with their friends and explore their interests, without having to worry about unsafe or inappropriate experiences.
“We understand parents’ concerns, and that’s why we’re reimagining our apps for teens with new Teen Accounts. 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.
