What Parents Need To Know About Instagram
Here you can learn more about Instagram: how your child uses the app, potential risks, the safety features, and what you can do to help keep your children safe.
Click on the images below to download the complete sheet in PDF format.
Downloadable Infographics
A Parent’s Guide to Instagram
This guide can be used to learn more about Instagram. It provides a detailed look at how your child uses the app, the potential risks they might encounter, the platform's safety features, and what you can do to help keep them safe.
What is Instagram?
Instagram is a free social media app that lets you share photos and videos with your followers. You can post permanent content to your profile, share photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. To join, you must be at least 13 years old.
Key Features of Instagram
- Followers: Users who are allowed to see your posts.
- Following: Users whose content is visible to you.
- Stories: Users can post a photo or video that remains visible to their followers for 24 hours.
- Close Friends: A private story that only the user’s selected friends can see.
- Explore Page: A page that suggests content from other users, tailored to your interests.
- Reels: Videos suggested to you based on your interests.
- Shopping: A shopping page where you can buy items from various stores on the app.
- Likes: A feature that allows you to like or react to a post.
- Comments: A feature that allows you to comment on a post.
How does Instagram Keep Your Child Safe?
Apps are ever-changing and so are their features! Please remember to check your or your child’s settings regularly to stay aware of any updates to in-app safety features.
Private Teen Accounts by Default
For Instagram users under 18, accounts are automatically set to private. For users under 16, they can only change this default setting with help from a parent or guardian. Other restrictive settings by default includes:
- Restrictive Interactions: preventing them from being messaged or tagged by people they don't follow.
- Sensitive Content Controls: limiting their exposure to potentially mature topics like cosmetic procedures or violence in feeds like Explore and Reels.
Parent Supervision Tools
These tools allow you to set time limits, view who your child messages, and receive notifications about their activity.
- Where can I find this feature?
- Tap your profile picture > tap the menu > scroll down to select Family Center.
How does Instagram Keep Your Child Safe?
Time Management
Instagram helps your child manage their time through automatic default settings, like Daily Time Nudges and Sleep Mode, as well as optional tools that users can customize, such as Daily Time Limits.
- Where can I find this feature?
- For the optional tools: Tap your profile picture > tap the menu > tap How you use Instagram > tap Time management.
Reporting, Blocking, Restricting, and Muting
These tools allow your child to report harmful content or accounts and block, restrict, or mute users to control your experience and safety.
- Where can I find this feature?
- Tap your profile picture > tap the three dots > select report/block/restrict/mute.
What are the Risks of Instagram?
Risk #1: Scammers/Predators
- Warning Signs
Friend requests/DMs from strangers, conversations becoming personal quickly, requests for secrecy, pressure to move to other apps, and offers of gifts. - What You Can Do
Adjust your child’s settings to limit friend requests and direct messages. Talk with them about online safety, like recognizing grooming tactics and knowing what personal information to avoid sharing. Remind them to always block and report suspicious users.
Risk #2: Inappropriate Content
- Warning Signs
Using new or adult language you haven’t heard them use before, sharing or mimicking risky challenges or trends, comparing themselves excessively to influencers. - What You Can Do
Encourage open judgement-free conversations about mimicking dangerous behavior online and consuming such content. Implement familial controls to avoid exposure to such content.
Risk #3: Cyberbullying
- Warning Signs
Changes in their mood, such as increased sadness or anxiety, or shifts in their behavior like avoiding friends, declining school performance, or changes in their sleep and eating habits. - What You Can Do
Have regular, low-pressure conversations about their online experiences. Show them how to use Snapchat’s safety tools. Remind them they deserve respect online, and seek professional help if their well-being is at risk.