|
MINIMUM AGE: 13+
WHAT IS IT? Instagram is a social media app where people share photos, videos, and messages with friends or followers. Many young people use it to connect with others, follow interests, and watch short videos. WHAT WE SAY: Treat with caution 🔞 Exposure to Inappropriate Content Although Instagram has community guidelines and content moderation, young people may still come across mature or upsetting content, including sexualised posts, harmful trends, or violent imagery, particularly through algorithm-driven areas like Explore and Reels. 🔐 Safety & Parent Support Controls Meta Family Center / Supervision allows parents and teens to set up supervision to help build positive online habits. Parents can view their teen’s time spent on the app, followers and following lists, and reports they submit, as well as set daily time limits or scheduled breaks. Messaging protections restrict adults from starting private chats with teens they are not connected to, helping reduce unwanted contact. Safety and support tools include reporting features (available 24/7), tools to manage time such as the Activity Dashboard, and resources that provide support if someone searches for content related to eating disorders or self-injury. Instagram also provides tools to report bullying, offensive content, posts, comments, messages, or accounts anonymously. 🛡️ Accounts for under 18's Accounts for under 18s are private, and teens under 16 need parental permission to make their account public. Messaging controls allow teens to limit who can contact them, with restrictions so only people they follow or are connected to can send messages or add them to group chats. With supervision enabled, parents can view their teen’s privacy settings, including account visibility and who they can message or be contacted by. ⏰ Time Management Instagram encourages teens to set healthy boundaries around screen time with tools such as Sleep Mode, which silences notifications at night, and daily reminders that prompt teens to leave the app after 60 minutes (with parental permission required for under 16s to change this). With supervision enabled, parents can view insights into their teen’s app use, set daily time limits, and allow teens to request extra time if needed. 📍Location Sharing including live location sharing Instagram allows users to add location tags to posts, Stories, and Reels, which can reveal where content was created or highlight places a young person visits regularly, such as school, clubs, or local areas. While accounts can be private, location tags can still link to broader public location pages, which may make patterns of activity easier to identify if used frequently. Instagram also offers location-related features within messaging and discovery tools that may show when content was posted from a certain place. Location sharing is optional and typically off by default, giving users control over whether they share their whereabouts and with whom. However, parents should encourage children to think carefully before sharing location information and review privacy settings regularly to reduce the risk of oversharing personal details. 📱 Cyberbullying and Peer Pressure Because Instagram focuses on likes, followers, and visible interactions, some young people may feel pressure to present themselves in certain ways or compare themselves to others. Negative experiences can occur through comments, direct messages, Stories, or group interactions, where individuals may feel excluded, criticised, or targeted. While Instagram provides tools to report, restrict, or block accounts and manage comments, it’s important for parents to talk with children about respectful behaviour and how to seek help if they experience bullying or social pressure. 🚨 Sexual Harassment & Grooming Risks Direct messaging can sometimes be used for inappropriate or unwanted contact. While Instagram includes protections that limit who can message teens and restrict contact from adults they aren’t connected to, message requests may still occur depending on settings. In some cases, individuals may pretend to be peers to build trust and encourage private conversations or requests for personal information or images, sometimes suggesting moving chats to other apps. It’s important for young people to know how to block and report users and to speak to a trusted adult if something makes them uncomfortable. 🧑💻 Online Predators & Inappropriate Contact Features such as hashtags, shared interests, and location tags can make it easier for people to discover and contact others on Instagram. While privacy settings, messaging controls, and blocking tools help reduce unwanted contact, some individuals may attempt to reconnect using new or different accounts. It’s important for young people to keep accounts private where appropriate, avoid sharing personal information, and know how to block and report users if they feel uncomfortable. 🚨 Scams, Fake Accounts & Harmful Trends Young people may encounter scams such as fake giveaways, phishing messages, impersonation accounts, or misleading financial schemes. Instagram also works to remove harmful content, but users may still come across risky trends or filters that encourage unrealistic comparisons or unhealthy expectations. It’s important to remind children not to share personal information, to be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true, and to report suspicious activity. |
SAFETY TIPS:
🔍For tools and resources to support your family's digital experiences access the Family Centre. 🔍 Instagram Parent Guide - access here. 🔍Timeline of tools, features and resources to help support teens and parents - access here. 👨👧 Parental supervision - Check their interactions and adjust privacy settings accordingly. Try to stay up-to-date on Internet trends and best practices. 👥 Managing Friend Requests - Encourage your child to only accept friend requests from people they know and trust in real life. Remind them that “friends of friends” online may still be strangers, and mutual connections do not automatically make someone safe. 📷 Webcam Safety - Talk to your child about covering their webcam when it’s not in use. Help them understand the importance of being aware of what’s visible in the background during video calls, as personal items or surroundings can reveal location clues. 🧠 Trusting Their Instincts - Reassure your child that if something feels uncomfortable, they should leave the chat immediately. Encourage them not to engage with anyone who seems suspicious, aggressive, or inappropriate, and to tell a trusted adult. 🖥️ Keeping Devices in Shared Spaces - Where possible, keep internet-connected devices in shared areas such as living rooms or kitchens rather than bedrooms. This can help reduce risky behaviour and makes it easier to supervise online activity naturally. 🚨 Recognising Warning Signs - Be aware of changes in your child’s behaviour, such as increased anxiety, secrecy, mood swings, or suddenly deleting apps. These may indicate that something concerning has happened online. 💬 Keeping Communication Open - Have regular, open conversations about online safety, including topics such as bullying, grooming, sexual or criminal exploitation, body image pressures, and how to report concerns or seek support. Creating a safe space for discussion helps children feel comfortable coming to you if something goes wrong. FURTHER SUPPORT: For parents/ carers If you're worried about your child or need support call NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. If you see suspected child sexual abuse content online, report it to the police or the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which helps remove illegal images from the internet. If you’re worried about online sexual exploitation or abuse, you can make a report to Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) - a UK law enforcement team dedicated to protecting children and young people online. For Children & young people if they're worried or want to talk, encourage them to contact Childline Online or call 0800 1111. Check out our Factsheets for further information and useful online safety tips. 
|
