Most people using technology these days are enrolled in some or the other social media platform to connect with their friends or like-minded people or someone they look up to, be it any movie star or a big name from any industry! Instagram is one such platform that has grown its followers over the years with once it being a platform just about sharing beautiful pictures to now becoming a mode of expression the platform has evolved. But there is a dark side to it too, giving access to our lives to anyone and everyone. The accounts include several protective features that involve who the teens will interact with, the kind of content they are exposed to, and how they manage their time on Instagram. Parents of those who use teen accounts will have tools to supervise and manage their teen’s experience.
All teen accounts will be private by default which would limit any interactions from unknown accounts and restrict exposure to any sensitive content.
With cyber crimes and threats on the rise, it has become crucial to keep our young generation under vigilance as there are ‘n’ number of possibilities that could get them in trouble. Keeping the same in mind Instagram has announced to bring ‘Teen Accounts’ in India on the occasion of Safer Internet Day, however, this was launched in the US, UK, Australia and Canada last year.
The government of India too had recently released the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules (DPDP) to create a robust framework for protecting the personal data available on the digital platforms.
This is applicable to both existing users and new users, instagram will need valid age proofs for verification to apply this guideline effectively. So, it will be difficult for anyone to misrepresent their age with such multiple folds of security processes including video selfies for certain cases.
Key Features that Set ‘Teen Accounts’ Apart
- Only limited people can tag or mention these teen accounts.
- Teen accounts allow a daily 60-minute usage and if one crosses that a notification will pop up for the same.
- Children will be restricted to viewing depictions of physical fights or promotions of cosmetic procedures, in areas like Explore and Reels.
- Automatic sleep mode will be active on these accounts that mute notifications between 10 pm & 7 am. Parents can make additional settings to block access during certain hours of the day.
- Parents/guardians can monitor their conversation list for the past seven days and that too without reading the message content just to keep things under supervision.
- There is this anti-bullying ‘Hidden Words’ feature that blocks away offensive language in comments and direct messages.
- Parents will have to approve any changes regarding safety for these accounts.
- Any harmful content as per the platform guidelines will be restricted automatically like sexually suggestive or any discussion about self-harm.
This will help create a more secure and age-appropriate space for teenagers with built-in protective measures. A much-needed upgrade by Meta for the times when such digital platforms are playing a huge role in shaping young minds.
It now depends on the individuals how they put this feature to use as it is the responsibility of both the parents and the child to not abuse this set-up as this in no way means that parents start to eye each and every move of their child and not let them explore the platform as it might again lead to misunderstanding between the two. Kids too should take it as just a protective marker and not a way that anyone is getting in between their personal life. With these little upgrades hopefully, the youth doesn’t get to see the shady side of the social networking sites keeping them safe.
