Meta Makes Instagram Safer For Michigan Children & Teens

Social media started off as this wonderful idea of a platform that would help college students connect while on campus and even create opportunities in the professional world. For a while, that was the functioning purpose for all social media before it became the insanity it is now. What was once a tool for connection has become a place for showboating and making money.

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Amongst all of the good that can come from social media, there are bouts of darkness as well. Cancel culture, internet beefs, and being "exposed" have all been serious concerns of social media as it has continued to grow in popularity and number of platforms. Social media platforms were intended for adults but as always, teens and children find themselves in the mix.

This has created a situation where adults and children are coexisting on the same platforms and giving them access to one another. As we have seen over the years, this has created a potential risk for children to provide sensitive information to someone who could be dangerous. In order to keep them safe, parents have had to place restrictions on their electronic use.

Have You Had Concerns About Your Child Being On Social Media?

This move by Meta is one that comes as a sigh of relief for parents and takes one more concern off their plate. After introducing their teen accounts on Instagram, Meta is rolling out a new PG-13 mode that restricts the type of content and accounts that can interact with a teen account.

WWMT reports:

The new safeguards will now hide or limit more mature content for those under 18, keeping it similar to that of a PG-13 movie with no dangerous stunts, inappropriate language, or drugs, according to the Associated Press (AP). Anyone under 18 will automatically be opted into these restrictions and won’t be able to change their settings without a parent’s permission, according to the Associated Press. Teens accounts will also no longer be able to follow or be contacted by accounts that regularly share “age-inappropriate content,” the Associated Press reported.

This change was implemented immediately and is something that Meta says is a step toward helping parents feel safe about their children using their platforms although they can't keep them safe 100% of the time.