Instagram became a powerful advertising and marketing channel as the number of users expanded from 30 million in 2012 to 300 million by the end of 2014. Instagram advertisers climbed from 200,000 in February 2016 to one million in March 2017. But, have you ever wondered how Instagram managed to secure such a huge audience?
Instagram, just like other social media apps – YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, and Reddit – is highly addictive. There are multiple risks associated with this app: cyberbullying, emotional issues of kids, sharing of personal and sensitive information with strangers, etc. Parental Control for Instagram is a must in this case.
Parents should know how and when their children are using such apps? Because of the dangers mentioned earlier, it’s critical to use Instagram’s privacy options and to teach youngsters about internet safety from an early age. That said, there are several things parents can do to make Instagram safer for their children and teenagers.
Instagram is a great trove of audiences with over 1.393 billion monthly active users. According to the most recent statistics, 72% of teenagers use Instagram. To use Instagram, you must be at least 13 years old, and new users must provide their age when creating an account.
Even though many people are truthful about their age, others still lie. It’s challenging to confirm someone’s age online. Instagram is working on new artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to address this problem to keep teenagers safe. This application, owned by Meta (FB), is finally implementing long-awaited Instagram parental controls.
Table of Contents
- Why do Parents need to monitor their Kids’ Instagram Activity?
- Instagram’s Family Centre and Parental Control Supervision tools
- How to set up Instagram Parental Controls?
- How to safely post and share content on Instagram?
- Teach Your Kids the appropriate ways to use Instagram
- How to Disable an Account on Instagram
Why do Parents need to monitor their Kids’ Instagram Activity?
Many parents feel that their children will be secure on Instagram because there are no online threats. They’re mistaken, however. Bad people may use Instagram to post inappropriate content. Because the platform contains sexual content, minors under 13 are prohibited from using it.
Even though providing one’s date of birth is required of all users, youngsters can simply overcome this obstacle. Others’ Instagram posts may be frightening, aggressive, or sexually explicit. Installing a parental control program like SecureTeen to monitor your children’s social media activities can help keep them safe on the internet.
Increases Anxiety and Depression in teens
Teenage and young adult users who spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms have a significantly greater rate of reported depression (from 13 to 66 per cent) than those who spend the least time. According to 2017 research of more than half a million 8th-12th graders, the number of students with severe depression symptoms increased by 33% between 2010 and 2015. The suicide rate for girls in that age group jumped by 65 per cent during the same time period.
One of the most significant distinctions between today’s teenagers and young adults and previous generations is that they spend far less time in person socializing with their friends and far more time connecting electronically, primarily through social media. According to some experts, the rise in depression is proof that social media relationships are less emotionally rewarding.
Some effects of Instagram or other social media may adversely affect your mental well-being. Sleep deprivation, induced or exacerbated by social media, is one of the most common factors of depression in teenagers.
Cyberbullying
While Instagram or other social media apps make it easy to meet new people and establish friends, it makes it simpler for cruel people to tear others down with little effort. Bullying perpetrators might use the anonymity provided by social media to earn people’s trust before terrorizing them in front of their peers. Bullying used to be something that could only be done face to face until the advent of social media. People can now bully others online, whether anonymously or not.
These cyber-assaults leave deep psychological scars and, in some circumstances, cause people to harm themselves or commit suicide. Cyberbullying isn’t just a problem for kids, as it turns out. Adults can also be abused online. Because screens obscure our faces, we can unintentionally become jerks on social media and other platforms.
Exposed to Inappropriate Content
KIDS SHOULD NOT BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA… According to a recent survey, children are sometimes exposed to unsuitable online content shortly after setting up their social media accounts. Information or images that upset your kid, material directed at adults, false information, or information that can persuade or tempt your child to engage in unlawful or harmful behaviour are examples of inappropriate content.
This might be: Pornographic content, Swearing-related content, Vandalism, criminality, terrorism, bigotry, eating disorders, and even death are all encouraged on these sites. Pictures, movies, or games depict images of violence or cruelty to other people or animals.
Being Groomed by Predators
Young people use popular social networking platforms to keep in touch with friends and meet new people. Adult internet predators frequently connect with youngsters, even on websites aimed toward children and young people. This can lead to real-life contact in the most catastrophic circumstances.
On any given day, an estimated 500,000 cyber predators are active. Children aged 12 to 15 are particularly vulnerable to being exploited or influenced by adults they encounter online. Sexual advances directed at children are believed to occur in 89 per cent of cases in Internet chatrooms or through instant messaging.
Internet predators will solicit a child for sexually explicit images of themselves in more than a quarter of all reported exploitation incidents. Adults make aggressive internet solicitations to 4% of youngsters, including attempts to contact the children in person or over the phone.
Youngsters can Develop an Addiction to Instagram
It’s possible that Instagram and other social media apps could be more addicting than cigarettes or alcohol. It has a powerful draw for many people that causes them to check it often without even realizing it. If you’re not sure if you’re addicted to social media, think about the last time you went a whole day without checking your accounts.
When someone unfollows you, do you feel rejected? Would the lack of your favourite social networks make you feel empty and depressed if they vanished tomorrow? Ultimately, social networking sites want you to scroll for as long as possible so they can show you as many adverts as possible and earn more money. Due to the attention economics, these social media apps require your attention for as long as possible.
Instagram’s Family Centre and Parental Control Supervision tools
Does Instagram have Parental Controls? Yes. A new education area has been added to the Instagram Family Center, where parents and guardians may access professional resources and read helpful articles, videos, and advice on topics such as how to talk to teens about social media and ways of setting up Instagram parental controls.
By watching video lessons, parents can also learn how to use the new Instagram supervision tools. The team collaborated with organizations such as Connect Safely and Net Family News to build these tools. They will continue to add fresh information to the Family Center’s education hub.
Go into detail about what these include and how to utilize them?
Most Instagram parental controls and supervision tools are currently accessible in the United States and will be available worldwide in the following months. Parents may use these tools to see: how much time their teen spends on Instagram, set limits, receive notifications when their kid reports someone, and receive updates for accounts their teens follow. Parents and guardians will be able to use supervision tools on Instagram for:
- Setting time limitations and monitoring how much time their teenagers spend on Instagram.
- When their teen says they’ve reported someone, they should be alerted.
- View and receive notifications on which accounts their teens follow and which accounts follow them.
How to set up Instagram Parental Controls?
The most important question arises: Can you put Parental Controls on Instagram, and how to enable Parental controls on Instagram? Like any other social media network, Instagram has the potential to be harmful to youngsters.
We’ll show you how to set up Instagram parental controls to keep your children safe while using the app. Enabling Instagram parental controls is the only way to keep your children safe on the platform. There are different parental controls on Instagram for Android and iPhone users.
Secure your account/Personal Information
The social media platform has added several security safeguards to its platform. You may control the privacy of your account and ensure that no one breaks into it by changing the settings. Here’s how you can secure your child’s Instagram account.
Use Two-factor Authentication
Instagram strongly advises you to enable two-factor authentication. In the coming weeks, you will be able to secure your account using your WhatsApp number if you use this app. You may also set up two-factor authentication using your phone number or an authenticator app like Duo Mobile or Google Authentication.
If you set two-factor authentication on Instagram, you’ll receive an alert if someone tries to log in to your account with a device or browser that we don’t recognize. These alerts will tell you which device attempted to log in and where it is currently. You can log out of the location or device if you don’t recognise a recent login.
Regularly Check Login Activity
Security Checkup will guide people whose accounts may have been hacked through the measures necessary to safeguard them. This process involves checking login activity, examining profile information, confirming accounts that share login information, and updating account recovery contact information like a phone number or email.
Switch Profile to Private
Only their friends and followers (who are largely friends) can read their posts if you set your child’s account to private. To do so, tap the profile image on the bottom menu, then the three-dots icon in the top-right corner, and then scroll down to Private Account.
Set Message Privacy (disable “online” status showing)
However, you may not want someone — or anyone – to know when you last active on social media for whatever reason. Thankfully, both WhatsApp and Instagram allow you to hide your activity status.
Also read: Enable Parental Controls on Snapchat and Protect Your Child
Disable Location Tagging
It would help if you also double-check that account’s geotagging is disabled. This will prohibit your children from using their accounts to share their whereabouts. Check to see if your child has entered any personal information, such as a mobile phone number, school name, or home address. If they have, you must delete the information.
Moderate Comments/Hide Offensive Comments
A compliment can undoubtedly brighten your day. On the other hand, a snarky remark might completely derail your day. By tapping the three dots on their profile page, selecting Comment Controls, and then Hide Offensive Comments, you can easily ban offensive comments on your Instagram posts.
Moderate Photo Tags
In the Instagram app for Android or iPhone, you can select the audience that can tag or mention you. If someone who isn’t part of your chosen audience tries to tag or mention you, they’ll see that you don’t allow everyone to tag or mention you.
Remove Unwanted Followers/Block Them
You might not want some of your Instagram followers tracking you. The good news is that you can delete any Instagram followers you don’t want monitoring your photographs or videos. Go to your profile page and then the followers’ list. Tap on the three dots next to the follower you want to delete.
Report Inappropriate Content
Open the Instagram app and join the conversation. To report a specific message, tap and hold it. Select Report. After selecting a reason for reporting the message, press Submit Report.
Create a Close Friends List
Even if you have a private account, keep in mind that there are ways to post that are even more selective. Only select people can read your stories if you activate the “Close Friends” setting. Those unable to view the story will be unaware that they are missing out.
Block Accounts/Block Users
If a user is inappropriate, you can also ban or report them on Instagram. To do so, go to that user’s profile page, press the three dots in the top-right corner, and then select Block or Report from the drop-down menu.
Teach Your Kids the appropriate ways to use Instagram
Be Selective of Who to Follow
You can make a celebrity or influencer unfollow your child’s account if they exclusively post abusive or improper things on their Instagram account. Your child won’t be able to see that person’s postings again if they unfollow them. The good news is that the person you’ve unfollowed won’t be aware of it, avoiding any potential conflict. To unfollow someone on Instagram, go to their profile and tap the Following button, which will change to Follow once you stop following them.
Ignore Inappropriate Comments
You can also disable comments for a single post on your Instagram account. This will stop your followers from leaving comments on that particular post. To do so, open the post in question, tap the three dots in the top-right corner, and then tap ‘Turn Off Commenting.’
Create Strong Passwords/Use 2FA
Two-factor authentication is a password security tool that keeps your Instagram account and password safe. When someone tries to log in to your account from a device we don’t recognize, you’ll get a notification or be prompted to input a unique login code if you’ve enabled two-factor authentication.
Be Thoughtful of What to Post
Instagram and other social media apps are helping businesses in a variety of categories, including fashion, homeware, and food. People aren’t just using Instagram; they’re participating with the content regularly, with over 800 million monthly active users, 500 million daily active users, and billions of likes per day.
On Instagram, you can share posts that empower and support good causes, motivational and inspiring messages, actionable or practical ideas, and so on.
Encourage them to be open and talk About any Concerns
Children require safety, security, and solid relationships to grow and develop skills; thus, effective communication with them is critical. Listen and respond sensitively to all kinds of things – not just nice things or good news, but also anger, embarrassment, sadness, and fear.
Parents must focus on their child’s body language, tone, and words so they can truly understand what their child is trying to express.
How to Disable an Account on Instagram
Your profile, images, comments, and likes will disappear if you temporarily disable your account. You can revive it by logging back in. Your Instagram account may only be disabled from a computer or mobile browser.
To temporarily disable your account, follow these steps:
- Use a mobile browser to access instagram.com. You can’t disable your Instagram account temporarily from within the app.
- In the lower right corner, tap your profile image and Edit profile.
- Scroll to the bottom right and tap Temporarily disable my account.
- Why are you disabling your account? Select an item from the drop-down menu. Type in your password again. After you’ve picked a reason from the menu and entered your password, you’ll have the option to disable your account.
- Temporarily disable your account by tapping “temporarily disable your account”.
