📱 Instagram’s New Teen Safety Features — Helpful or Just Hype?
Instagram recently rolled out an update designed to better protect teens aged 13–17 on the app — and while it sounds like a step in the right direction, there’s more to the story.
Some of the new changes include:
- Teens under 16 now need parent approval to change key settings
- Public accounts of users aged 13–15 are automatically switched to private
- All new teen accounts will be private by default
🤔 But Here’s the Catch...
Despite these changes, parents still have very limited control. Instagram won’t let you adjust or enforce settings directly — instead, they’ll simply remind your teen to close the app at night or after an hour of use.
And let’s be honest… when did a reminder ever stop a determined teenager?
đź’¬ What Actually Works:
The update does offer a few pluses:
- Parents can see who their teen is messaging
- Instagram uses AI to filter inappropriate content and language
- Age verification tools are improving to prevent fake birthdays
🧠What Would Really Help?
Imagine if Instagram allowed parents to set a daily time limit that locked the app once it’s reached. Now that’s a feature families could actually use.