by Janice Robinson-Celeste
As the Publisher and CEO of Successful Black Parenting Magazine, I recently attended an event hosted by Meta in Savannah, Georgia, where I learned about Instagram’s latest feature: Teen Accounts. Teen Accounts are designed for users under the age of 16, with privacy and safety measures, offering youth a healthier, safer social media experience. This age group will automatically have their accounts converted to a teen account. You don’t have to do a thing! This launch is significant and holds great promise, particularly for parents who are increasingly mindful of the digital landscape their children navigate.
Why Teen Safety Matters
The digital world presents incredible opportunities and challenges, especially for Black teens. Research shows that Black teens face a unique set of challenges online; they’re about twice as likely as their Hispanic or White peers to report race-based bullying, with 21% of Black teens experiencing harassment due to their race or ethnicity compared to only 4% of White teens. Additionally, nearly 70% of Black teens believe online harassment is a significant issue among people their age—highlighting just how much work it takes to make these spaces safer.
With features like Teen Accounts, Instagram supports parents and teens by focusing on real-world concerns with privacy, wellness, and content moderation tools. Given the higher likelihood of Black teens encountering racial or cyberbullying online, these protective measures are timely, reassuring parents that their children are engaging in a more positive, controlled environment.
“Black teens face a unique set of challenges online; they’re about twice as likely as their Hispanic or White peers to report race-based bullying…”
Key Features of Instagram Teen Accounts
The standout aspect of Teen Accounts is the range of default privacy and safety settings thoughtfully designed for young users. Here’s what caught my attention:
- Automatic Privacy and Limited Interactions: With Teen Accounts, privacy controls are enabled by default to minimize exposure to potential harm. Features like message restrictions and hidden offensive comments empower teens to interact safely. For Black parents concerned about their teens encountering unwanted or hostile messages, these settings add a valuable layer of protection.
- Sleep Mode and Time Limits: Recognizing that teens often face pressure to stay connected, Instagram includes a “sleep mode” for Teen Accounts, pausing notifications from 10 PM to 7 AM. This encourages teens to establish healthier screen time habits. Additionally, a daily limit of 60 minutes prompts teens to take breaks, which is essential in promoting a balanced lifestyle amid the pressures of digital engagement.
- Content Curation for Positive Exposure: Teen Accounts allow users to tailor their Explore tabs to reflect positive interests. This feature means that Black teens can engage more with content celebrating their culture, heritage, and achievements, which is a much-needed shift toward creating empowering spaces.
Teen Accounts Have Built-in Protections
If your child is under the age of 16, they will need parental permission to change any of these settings to be less strict.
Instagram has default protective settings that include:
• Private accounts: Requires teens to accept new followers, and people who don’t follow them can’t see their content or interact with them.
• Messaging restrictions: Teen Accounts default to our strictest messaging settings, so teens can only be messaged by people they follow or are already connected to.
• Sensitive content restrictions: Teens will automatically be placed into the most restrictive setting of Instagram’s sensitive content control, which limits the type of sensitive content (such as content that shows people fighting or promotes cosmetic procedures) teens see in places like Explore and reels.
• Limited interactions: Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow. We’ll also automatically turn on the most restrictive version of Instagram’s anti-bullying feature, Hidden Words, so that offensive words and phrases will be filtered out of teens’ comments and direct message requests.
Source: Instagram
Tools That Empower Black Parents
One of the standout takeaways from the event was Instagram’s commitment to giving parents more control without compromising their teen’s autonomy. With Teen Accounts, parents of users under 15 have approval privileges over default settings, allowing for balanced oversight. Additionally, new age verification processes ensure a more accurate understanding of online age demographics, minimizing access to unsuitable content for younger users.
For Black parents, this level of control is vital, especially considering the disproportionate exposure to online abuse our teens may experience. These new tools mean that parents can breathe a bit easier, knowing there are systems in place to protect their children from harmful online encounters.
A Positive Step Forward
Meta’s approach with Instagram’s Teen Accounts is a reminder of the potential for digital innovation to foster safer online environments for our youth. As Black parents, we know the importance of safe spaces, and Meta’s proactive measures with Teen Accounts are a significant step toward that. Protecting teens from racial harassment and supporting mental well-being through these features is an essential response to the challenges of our times.
At Successful Black Parenting, I’m excited to introduce our community to these new resources and the tools they offer to support positive, healthy online experiences for our youth. I encourage parents to explore these features and join us in embracing technology that prioritizes our children’s well-being.
Disclosure: Successful Black Parenting Magazine received financial compensation from Meta for participation in this event focused on Instagram’s new Teen Accounts and safety features for underage users. All information and opinions expressed in this article are based on independent observations intended to inform and benefit our readership.
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