Instagram has launched a range of new parental controls to monitor how teens use the app.
Australian parents and guardians can set time limits for their child on Instagram from Wednesday, see who they follow and who they follow back, and be notified when they make a report.
A parent or child (minimum age 13) can send an invitation to start the monitoring tools, but both parties must accept this invitation to activate it.
Camera icon An example of the invitation screen. Delivered Credit: Delivered
Technology conglomerate Meta has introduced new measures in its app to help families build positive online habits.
Among the new features, parents can see their teen’s daily average time on Instagram and set following restrictions to limit their app use.
These screen time limits can range from 15 minutes to two hours, while breaks can also be scheduled.
Parents can also be notified when their child reports an account or piece of content, with the teen having the option to leave a note explaining why he made the report.
These monitoring tools are available through the new Family Center feature.
Camera iconic example of the time limits parents can set on Instagram. Credit Provided: Provided Camera Icon An instance of the notification a parent will receive when a child makes a notification. Delivered Credit: Delivered
Meta ANZ Policy Director Mia Garlick said the company recognizes it has a responsibility to protect the safety of young people.
“We recognize our responsibility to protect the safety of people using Meta’s services – especially the safety of young people. Their safety is of the utmost importance to us, and we want them to have an experience that is both fun and safe, and we want to support their parents to help them do this,” she said.
“Our intent with these resources is to strike the right balance for young people’s desire for some autonomy when using Instagram, but also to enable monitoring in a way that supports parent-youth conversation when it’s helpful.”
These changes were introduced in the US in March, but Meta is now rolling them out in Australia, the UK, Japan, Canada, Germany, and France.
A survey by ReachOut, an Australian online mental health provider for young people and their families, found that 36 percent of parents were unsure about the role they could play in keeping their teens safe on social media.
The data, released last June, also found that 30 percent of parents felt moderately to extremely concerned about their teens’ use of social media, and 40 percent said they needed more support to understand social media. Tchild about it. o, talk to their teenagers.C
The parental controls are accompanied by an education center in Family Center with online resources and information to help parents.
This has been developed with organizations such as ReachOut and Project Rockit, Orygen Youth Health,, and Butterfly.
Meta plans to introduce additional monitoring tools and features in Family Center in the coming months.
