Instagram is going to automatically turn on its most restrictive content filter for all new users under the age of 16 and encourage existing teenage users to do the same. The platform announced this in a blog post today.
Earlier this summer, Instagram renamed its existing content settings, which are now divided into “Less”, “Standard” and “More” and allow users to restrict content that contains violence, sexual imagery, cosmetic procedures, and other “sensitive” topics. Only users over the age of 18 can access the “More” setting, which offers the least filtered version of Instagram available to the public.
New Instagram users under the age of 16 will now have the “Less” setting enabled by default. It will affect the type of content they see across the platform, including search, videos, suggested accounts, hashtags, and feed recommendations. Instagram will also ask all existing teen users to do a special settings check and limit who can share their content, send them direct messages, and what content their followers can view. The platform will also ask teens if they want to update a feature that allows them to limit the amount of time they spend on Instagram.
Growing concern about Instagram’s psychological and emotional impact on its youngest users prompted a Senate panel last year to subpoena the head of the company, Adam Mosseri, for questioning. Ahead of the hearing, the platform unveiled new safety features for teens, including a feature that notifies users if they spend too much time on the app and the ability to automatically notify parents of inappropriate content. And earlier this year, Instagram launched a parental control feature that allows guardians to monitor who their teenager is following and impose temporary restrictions on app use.
Mental health experts warn that parental controls on social media will not work 100%. Especially considering the fact that algorithms can make mistakes and show risky content. Tech-savvy teens could also easily bypass such parental controls or simply watch the content they are interested in on another platform or on a friend’s phone.
Frankly, this change is unlikely to have a major impact on teen users whose parents or guardians already control their accounts through the Family Center for Instagram. And it’s unlikely that teens will want to restrict themselves in any way from viewing content on Instagram.
