online Safety First: Managing Instagram Profiles
In the digital age, social media platforms like Instagram have become a significant part of our children's lives. While these platforms offer opportunities for creativity and connection, they also present potential risks. As parents, it's crucial to understand how to manage your child's Instagram profile to ensure their online safety.
Instagram, owned by Meta, is a popular social media app that allows users to post photos and videos, follow accounts, and send messages. With a majority of users aged between 13 and 24, Instagram is a platform that many children and teenagers use daily.
Understanding Instagram's online Safety Features
Instagram has implemented several safety features to help parents manage their children’s accounts. One of the primary features is the ability to set your child’s account to private. A private account allows users to select who can access and follow their posts, providing a layer of protection against unwanted viewers.
Instagram also offers a feature that pre-emptively blocks unwanted direct messages (DMs), reducing the risk of inappropriate contact.
Additionally, Instagram has taken steps to limit teen interaction with unknown adults. For instance, if a user is not connected with a certain user, they must send an invitation to connect.
To help manage screen time, Instagram introduced a “Quiet mode” that allows users to pause notifications and auto-reply to DMs, indicating they are taking a break.
Parents can also see how much time their child spends on Instagram.
Parental Supervision Tools
Meta has rolled out new parental supervision tools across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. These tools allow parents to see their child’s privacy and safety settings, the accounts their child follows or is followed by, and track how much time the minor spends on Instagram. However, these features require both the child and the parent to opt in
Additional Safety Measures
While Instagram’s built-in safety features are a good start, parents can take additional steps to ensure their child’s safety. One such measure is using external parental control apps like Bark, which monitors your child’s posts, including images, videos, captions, as well as text chats in DMs and searches.
Parents should also educate their children about the potential risks of social media, including scams, hackers, and inappropriate content.
Open, honest communication is key, as much of a child’s interaction on the app will occur within the private messaging feature
If you want to learn more about this subject together then why not complete our Instagram Superstar course – it has several modules on online safety as well as top tips to get started in the world of social media.