Instagram has new guidelines for teens and parents that will help kids use the app safely.
Personally I wouldn’t allow my teenager to get on Instagram or on any other social media platform but the reality is in this day and age kids need to be conversant with the digital space. The only thing social media platforms can do is make their apps more user-friendly and make it safe for children. As a parent, you cannot assume that your teenager is safe on Instagram because they only follow you and other relatives. You must understand how these platforms work and follow the guidelines that the apps offer such as the one Instagram has come up with.
Kids are very vulnerable and can easily fall into unhealthy habits just by using social media.
The guide books contain a range of insights into how Instagram works, and aim to shine a light on what’s happening behind the scenes for each user, in order to reduce unhealthy comparison. The guide is called “pressure to be perfect” and this is what they had to say.
The pressure to be Perfect is about recognizing that what you see posted by others is just one part of their story – a single post or video rarely reflects all that is happening behind the scenes. That realization can help free us from the pressure of thinking we need to conform to a certain set of standards when we post, moving from a mindset of comparing yourself with others to one where you are thoughtfully sharing yourself with others could help make the time you spend on Instagram more intentional and rewarding.
The teen guide includes a range of interactive quizzes, with summary rundowns, based on the readers’ answers, which are designed to help Instagram users glean more perspective about how they use the app. The irony is that this perspective has not only been adopted by teenagers but by grown-ups as well. There are many young people who assume that people on IG always live a lavish life because of the perfect looking photos everyone is always so quick to post.
This new guide is perfect because it outlines further steps you can take to better frame and manage your Instagram usage, with tips on how and when to block other users, links to helpful resources, exercises and more. It also guides parents and helps them understand what they can do to better their children’s experiences and the warning signs to look out for on social media that can warn you and let you know if your child is depressed or is suffering from any other issue.
Currently, Instagram has removed like counts to reduce that pressure. Highlighting specific editing tricks and changes like this could prove even more effective in lessening unrealistic comparison. This, in general, has reduced the unhealthy obsession of numbers and basically what people think