September 17th 2024.
Instagram, the popular social media platform, has announced that there will be some significant changes in the way teenagers use the app. As part of their efforts to protect young users, especially after some high-profile deaths linked to social media usage, the company will now automatically give teenage users a new type of account with parental controls.
For teenagers under the age of 18, their accounts will now be private by default, with the strictest sensitive content settings. This means that they will have more control over who can see their posts and messages. In addition, they will only be able to message people they are already connected with, adding an extra layer of protection. The company has also introduced a sleep mode feature that will automatically mute notifications and send an auto-reply to direct messages between 10pm and 7am. This will help teenagers disconnect and have a break from the constant pressure of social media.
One of the most significant changes is that users under 16 will now need their parent's permission to change any of the default settings. This move comes after immense pressure to better safeguard young users. However, some campaigners, like Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly died by suicide at the age of 14, believe that these measures may not be enough. While any step towards digital safety is welcome, there could still be ways around these measures. Parents may feel compelled to disable the restrictions if it becomes the norm among teenagers, as they often give their children smartphones due to peer pressure.
The changes will also see teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 having limited interactions on the app. They will only be able to tag or mention people they follow and will receive a notification after an hour of usage, encouraging them to take a break. Furthermore, parents will now have more options to supervise their children's use of Instagram. They can set daily time limits, block app usage for specific periods, and see the topics their child has been looking at.
These changes will come into effect immediately for new teenage users under 18. Existing users will be gradually moved onto the new system, with the aim of having all teenagers in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia on the new accounts within two months. Teenagers over 18 will not be affected by these changes.
The need for online controls has become increasingly crucial in recent years, with several cases of children dying after being exposed to harmful material online. One of the most notable cases is that of Molly Russell, who took her own life at the age of 14 after viewing suicide and other harmful content on Instagram and Pinterest. A coroner ruled that the material she was consuming should not have been available for a child to see. Similarly, 11-year-old Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington died after taking part in a social media trend called 'chroming,' which involves inhaling toxic chemicals. His grandmother blamed TikTok for his death and called for stricter regulations for social media platforms.
In response to these concerns, former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg, now the president of global affairs at Meta, said that the aim of these changes is to shift the balance in favor of parents when it comes to using parental controls. He hopes that it will also spark a wider debate around enhanced online safety tools. However, he acknowledges that these changes may mean that some teenagers will use the app less, but he believes it is a necessary step.
Sir Nick also emphasized the need for a wider ecosystem-level debate around age verification tools that work across different apps. He believes that app store-level age verification could be a viable solution, as iOS and Android already collect this data. Campaigner Ian Russell agrees that while these changes are welcome, their effectiveness can only be judged with evidence. He also calls for transparency from Instagram and constant improvement to keep these measures effective.
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