Instagram launches parental controls
Only minor steps taken to protect teens and young girls on Instagram argues critic. Nick Bonyhady reports.
Parents will be able to limit the amount of time their children spend on Instagram, see follower lists and be notified about inappropriate behaviour reports in a suite of changes the social media service implemented on Wednesday.
The move follows sustained criticism of Instagram and its parent company Meta late last year from activists, regulators and politicians that was elevated by the leak of internal documents suggesting Instagram was bad for teenage girls’ self-esteem.
Meta disputed many of the claims by whistleblower Frances Haugen at the time, but Wednesday’s changes go some distance toward addressing one of her primary concerns: that teens’ mental health was spiralling down as they scrolled through feeds on Instagram filled with images of people seemingly better looking and happier than them.
Meta regional public policy director Mia Garlick said the changes were not a response to Haugen’s criticism but part of the company’s long-term work to protect young people by starting conversations within families, while also respecting their autonomy.
‘‘A lot of people value the role of social media, particularly keeping people connected during the pandemic, but where it starts to interfere with doing homework or doing chores, that’s when people have concerns,’’ Garlick said.
A parent or child (the minimum age allowed on Instagram is 13) can request to set up the parental supervision tools, but it does not work unless both agree.
Once the arrangement is running, parents will be able to set screen-time limits of between 15 minutes and two hours and schedule breaks.
‘‘So you could, for example, set [Instagram] to only be available on the weekends or be blocked during school hours,’’ Garlick said.
Parents will also be able to see who is following their child and who their child is following. If the teen reports inappropriate behaviour on Instagram, they can also notify their parent via the app.
The changes were made available in the United States in March but Garlick said the Australian launch date was determined by a need to consult with local experts and regulators.
Two other changes operate without the need for parental involvement. Teens will get nudges to encourage them to view other posts if they are obsessively viewing images of one kind and, if they have been watching short form videos called Reels for lengthy periods, reminders to turn on a feature that encourages them to periodically close the app. The user can ignore those prompts.
A new online toolkit will also include material from antibullying, body image and mental health groups PROJECT ROCKIT, ReachOut and Butterfly.
ROCKIT’s co-founder Lucy Thomas said Instagram had taken a ‘‘pivotal step’’ that would help parents help their children.
Chris Cooper, executive director of Reset Australia and a critic of social media’s treatment of children, said Meta had not made significant changes that would make its platform safe for young girls. ‘‘The changes that do need to be made would affect the business model and profit [of Meta],’’ Cooper said – adding, for example, algorithmic changes to avoid amplifying harmful content that could encourage things such as disordered eating. He spoke in general terms because Meta had not made its changes public.
Garlick said Instagram had made other changes to manage those concerns, such as limits on some types of body image content, partnerships with NGOs, and options for users to hide how many people had ‘‘liked’’ a post.
Haugen, the whistleblower, told Australian MPs last year to be cynical of promises by Facebook to reform and address its problems. In her view, it was aware of its negative impact on teen girls but did not change its practices.
‘‘It is simply not accurate that this research demonstrates Instagram is ‘toxic’ for teen girls,’’ the company said at the time. – Sydney Morning Herald
‘‘The changes that do need to be made would affect the business model and profit [of Meta].’’ Chris Cooper Executive director of Reset Australia
It is not clear if the parental controls will be implemented in New Zealand as yet. Meta was contacted for clarity, but had not responded before we went to press.