Meta launches parental controls for Instagram

Meta had conducted research which found that teenagers blamed Instagram for increased feelings of anxiety and depression, but kept the study secret.
22 June 2022
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

Instagram owner Meta is launching new parental controls across the platform. They include the option of setting daily time limits of between 15 minutes and 2 hours, after which a black screen appears on the app. Parents can also schedule break times and see any accounts their child reports. Instagram is officially for young people aged 13 and over, although there are younger children using the platform.

Last year Instagram paused plans to create an Instagram platform for children below the age of 13, following a backlash.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Meta had conducted research which found that teenagers blamed Instagram for increased feelings of anxiety and depression, but kept the study secret.

In 2017, 14-year-old Molly Russell killed herself after viewing self-harm and suicide content on the platform.

At a pre-inquest review in February 2021 the coroner heard that she had used her Instagram account more than 120 times a day in the last six months of her life.

In a statement, Instagram said it “does not allow content that promotes or glorifies self-harm or suicide and will remove content of this kind”.

- CyberBeat

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