MAY 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 41
PARENTING TIPS
ONLINE INSTAGRAM AWARENESS FOR KIDS
BY ANALIESE DODD
Facebook recently announced that it
will be expanding its popular video-
and photo-sharing app Instagram by
launching an Instagram platform for
kids under the age of 13.
This new version of the app will encourage
kids to create their own safe
experience where they can share posts
with their friends. There are some
concerns parents should be aware of
before signing their kids up for this
new experience.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
As of now, Instagram doesn’t allow
users under the age of 13 in order to protect
kids’ privacy. This new Instagram
for kids (younger than 13 years old) will
allow kids to communicate with one another
while limiting their access. The
program is led by Facebook Vice President
Pavni Diwanji, who has overseen
many children-focused projects for
Google including YouTube Kids. The
exact layout of the kids’ app hasn’t
been specified as the program is
still in early development.
Instagram has said it needs
to do more to protect its
younger users from some of
the dangers that come with
social media. In particular,
it is looking into ways to prevent
the bullying, predation, and
abuse that sometimes finds kids on
its app. This new version of Instagram
will severely limit access to these
kinds of environments, and will
give parents control or transparency
over what’s happening on
their child’s account.
WHY THE CONCERN?
While this new version of the
app may invite kids to engage
with one another, parents should
still be wary of the new experience.
Despite Instagram’s assurance that the
app will be secure, there are still risks
with getting young kids involved with
this kind of social media.
Sometimes when kids
get involved with apps
like YouTube Kids
and other kid versions
of apps they
transition quickly
to the adult versions
of the app.
Buzzfeednews.com’s article “Facebook
is Building an Instagram for Kids Under
the Age of 13” points out several
concerns that arose when Facebook
started a similar kids version of Facebook
Messenger called Messenger Kids.
There were several problems with the
program that allowed kids to enter chats
with unauthorized users. The problems
were limited to a select number of users,
but it was still a danger to young kids
who were using the app.
This new Instagram for kids app has
not been fully developed or tested, but
it might be best to keep as updated as
possible while more information
comes in. This new Instagram can be a
great thing for kids in moderation, but
it is easy for them to get consumed by it.
Each family should make its own choice
when it comes to downloading the app
and deciding the parental controls that
are appropriate for each individual child.
This article first appeared in
newyorkfamily.com
Parents should know what social
media their kids use. (Getty Images)
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