Meta has started rolling out parental supervision tools for Instagram. The company last year promised users tools that would allow parents and guardians to be more involved in their teens’ social media experience. We’re sure the teens are super-pumped by this news.
Big Instagram Brother
Meta has faced pressure to ensure the safety of children online. It suspended plans for a version of the app designed for kids after former Facebook employee and whistleblower, Frances Haugen, reported that Meta knew Instagram could have harmful effects on teenagers.
In response, Meta has built the Family Center. The Family Center is “…a new place for parents to oversee their teens’ accounts within Meta technologies, set up and use supervision tools, and access resources on how to communicate with their teens about internet use,” according to Meta.
Parents or guardians can see how much time their kids spend on Insta. They can also set specific daily time limits. A parent or guardian receives notifications when their teenager reports someone. They can view which accounts their teens follow and who follows them back. Which you can do anyway if your teen doesn’t have a private account. Now, it’s just a bit.. weirder. But it’s not completely stalker-ish. Teens still have to approve a parent’s request to monitor their activity.
In the coming months, Meta will allow multiple parents to oversee teens’ accounts.
It’s not all digital voyeurism, either. The parental supervision feature also includes an education hub where parents can access helpful resources created by experts in the field of social media and children. Video tutorials are also available, explaining the various parental supervision. Meta says it will continue updating the Family Center as it grows.
Coming soon to VR
VR parental supervision tools are also rolling out to the Quest (and Meta) headsets. Meta will give parents more control over what their kids can access, potentially keeping them from accessing virtual realities that aren’t age-appropriate. A parent dashboard will also be integrated into teens’ accounts and consent from both sides will be needed when downloading IARC (the International Age Rating Coalition) rated apps. If this isn’t obtained, the teen will be automatically blocked.
Both features will roll out globally in the coming months. The US, of course, has access to them right now. Teenagers in other parts of the world can enjoy their freedom for a while longer.
