In an ambitious move to keep the online world a bit safer for our youngsters, Meta (the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger) is introducing a fresh suite of parental control features. What this means for parents and guardians is they’ll now have the ability to monitor and limit their teen’s social media activity in an effort to shield them from potential online harm.
These new control features launched in the U.S. market two days ago, with plans for an international roll-out in the near future. Ready to get hands-on with your teen’s social media habits? Let’s break down these fresh features that’ll be accessible right through your teen’s account.
- Calling Time on Screen Time: This feature lets parents set daily time restrictions on their teen’s Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger usage. Parents can even schedule downtime during certain hours – say, dinner time or bed time. And don’t worry about breaking the news; your teen will be alerted when they’re about to hit their time cap.
- Comment Control: Wondering who’s dropping comments on your teen’s posts? With this tool, you can regulate who gets to comment on your child’s public posts on Instagram or Facebook. If you want to play it extra safe, you can even disable comments completely.
- Keeping Tabs on Followers: Get the low-down on your teen’s social circle. You can view which accounts your child follows and who follows them back on Instagram and Facebook, along with each account’s follower count, and when your teen started following them.
- Report Updates: If your teen flags an account or a post on Instagram, Facebook, or Messenger, you’ll be notified. The notification will include report details and, if you spot the same worrying content, you can submit a report directly.
The unveiling of these features comes amid an ongoing debate in the U.S. about the need for more stringent online safety measures for younger users. Instagram has come under fire recently due to concerns about its impact on teenage mental health and body image. While some believe that younger teens should avoid social media entirely, others see potential benefits in nurturing supportive and safe online spaces for teens.
In response to these concerns, Meta announced last September that it was hitting the pause button on developing an Instagram version for younger kids. The focus shifted to enhancing safety features and consulting with experts. However, recent comments from company officials hint that a kids-oriented service may still be on the table. These new parental control features are a stride in the right direction for regulating teens’ social media usage, but it’s likely that critics will call for even more robust measures.
