Today, around 72% of teens actively use this app. Instagram is widely popular, and where people share photos and videos, privately and publicly.
The basics
- Stories are photos and videos that appear on someone’s profile and disappear after 24 hours.
- Reels are short videos that are posted straight to a person’s feed.
- Live Streams are videos broadcast in real-time that allow users to connect with their followers through comments.
- Posts go straight onto a user’s profile, known as their ‘grid’.
- Instagram makes “friend” suggestions through a feature called Suggestions for You.
Users can privately message each other and publicly comment on each other’s content.
A person’s profile can be public, which means anyone with an account can view your profile. Or private, which means only your followers (which you must accept) can see your profile.
Hashtags
- Public Visibility: Hashtags on public accounts make posts visible to anyone searching Instagram; private accounts limit visibility to followers.
- Attracting Harmful Activity: Innocent-looking hashtags like #childbath or #kissing can attract predators targeting children or teens.
- Drug and Substance Access: Teens can find illegal drugs on Instagram by using hashtags, with ease of access to harmful substances.
- Encouragement of Harmful Behaviours: Hashtags related to eating disorders (#ana, #mia) and self-harm (#selfharmm) are used to promote these activities, even though specific hashtags may be banned.
- New Hashtags: Even banned hashtags can be replaced with new ones that quickly gain traction, continuing to spread harmful content.
Instagram lingo
- Followers: People who subscribe to your account and see your posts.
- Finsta and Rinsta:
- Finsta: A secondary, exclusive account for close friends (fake Instagram).
- Rinsta: Primary public account (real Instagram).
- Hashtags: Keywords or phrases preceded by #, used to categorize and find content in searches (e.g., #safersocialmedia).
- Grid: A person’s profile that shows a grid of their photos and videos.
How to improve your child’s safety on Instagram
Comply with Age Restrictions: Ensure your teen is at least 13 years old before using Instagram.
Establish privacy settings:
- Check all privacy, marketing, and other available settings offered by the platform.
- Set profiles to private.
- Disable location tagging.
- Remove or block uncomfortable followers.
- Use comment filters to block offensive comments.
- Turn off comments on specific posts.
- Note: available settings vary by location, so identify and set every other available setting to the highest available safety level.
Maintain open dialogue: Discuss social media usage and privacy settings regularly with your child. Talk about social media more generally with your child, as well. Watch for the latest news and updates about these platforms and try to engage your children in those discussions so that they can make better informed decisions for themselves.
Consider Establishing their Account: If you decide to allow your child to use Instagram, consider setting up their account. This means creating the account, selecting the strongest safety settings, and then using the account yourself for some period before handing it over to them.
Periodic Programming: Discuss the dangerous of algorithmic programming regularly with your child and help them to take affirmative steps to program all social media accounts to be less potentially harmful. For example, run searches for positive topics and scroll through positive topics on a regular basis, and caution them against watching potentially harmful topics.
Encourage Reporting: Where Instagram provides options for blocking and reporting, encourage your child to use those options and use them yourself. Use of these options may not only keep them safer but may keep other children safer as well.
Monitor activity: To the extent you are able, follow your child and their friends on Instagram to stay informed about their online interactions and interests.
Device Restrictions:
- If Instagram is restricted from downloading, teens can still access Instagram via web browsers.
- Instagram is accessible on other internet-connected devices.
Guides supported by The Social Media Victims Law Center
Have you been affected?
The Parents’ Network is a no-cost, private community for parents and caregivers bound by shared experiences of social media harm, centered on collective healing. Together, they are working to equip families with safe, intimate spaces where you can talk openly with others who’ve been there, and elevate our collective voices to ensure no other family is forced to endure the same.
Members have the opportunity to:
- Connect with fellow parents navigating similar experiences in small, peer-led groups
- Attend monthly learning spaces, led by experts and peers in relevant fields
- Connect to a virtual community, where you can share stories, resources, and ideas with fellow parents via online discussion threads
- Learn about ongoing resources and advocacy opportunities
Join The Parents’ Network
All program participants are welcomed and verified by our team. Our parent-led community support team is on-hand to answer questions and support you at every step along the way.
Take action today
Speak up on the issue. Share this campaign widely with fellow parents, and with your children if you feel they are emotionally ready to the nature of the content. When we speak together, our voices are harder to ignore.
Explore our partner resources to support yourself and your child.
Guide our future campaign efforts by sharing what matters to you most in our form below.