People of all ages use Instagram extensively, but it can also expose them to threats like scams, offensive content, harassment, cyberbullying, and online abuse. Take into account the following advice to make Instagram a safer place for your kids:
How to Make Child-Friendly Instagram Accounts:
There are further actions you can do to improve your child’s online safety once you’ve set them up with an Instagram account. Put these settings into practice to lessen the possibility of coming across hazardous content:
1. Make sure your child’s profile is private so that only followers who have been granted access can view their postings and stories. It is necessary to manually accept any new followers. Furthermore, individuals who aren’t following them won’t be able to see location tags or hashtags.
2. Eliminate Unfamiliar Follower Suggestions: Go through and eliminate follower recommendations on a regular basis by clicking the X next to the profile or turning off account suggestions in the profile settings.
3. Minimise Personal Information in the Bio: Despite the account being private, non-followers can still see certain information, such as the name, profile photo, and bio. Steer clear of providing private information in the bio section, such as address, phone number, or school data.
4. Handle Comments: You have the option to remove offensive remarks or prevent specific people from leaving comments on posts. Your child and other people won’t be able to view their comments because blocked users won’t be notified.
5. Hide Stories from Selected Followers: Your child has the option to prevent specific persons from seeing stories by hiding them from particular followers. As an alternative, stories can only be shared with a select few people that you trust when using the “Close Friends” function.
6. Restrict Problematic Users: Your child can use the “Restrict” option to limit interactions if they are worried about a certain person. Restricted users’ direct messages will appear as requests, and their comments will only be available to them until they are approved.
7. Block Unwanted Interactions: Blocking harmful users is a useful strategy to stop unwanted interactions. A blocked user is unable to follow, communicate, or even access your child’s profile.
8. Be Aware of Scams: Teach your kids how to spot shady profiles on Instagram and about other scams, like phoney money schemes. Use the “Report” button found in the user’s profile to report an account that appears to be hazardous.
Instagram’s Age Requirements:
In accordance with privacy rules, Instagram’s policies prohibit parents who are older than 13 from accessing their child’s account. On the other hand, parents and teens can work together to make sure that security measures and appropriate privacy settings are on. Users under 13 should make it very evident in their profile that a parent or legal guardian is in charge of their account management. Accounts that don’t follow these rules may be reported for deletion.
Parental Supervision on Instagram:
Instagram has a tool called “Supervision” that kids between the ages of 13 and 17 can use through the Family Centre. This enables parents to keep an eye on followers, time limits, and blocked accounts on their accounts. Teens can see what parents can see in the Family Centre, which they can also access.
Parents and teenagers may collaborate to make Instagram a safer place to use by making use of these parental restrictions and safety features.