If
you’re
a
parent
of
a
teen,
there’s
a
good
chance
that
Instagram
is
the
culprit
behind
a
good
chunk
of
their
screen
time.
However,
woven
into
the
stream
of
reels,
stories,
selfies,
and
Insta-worthy
moments,
are
potential
risks
to
your
child’s
privacy
and
safety.
According
to
a
recent
Pew
Research
Center
report,
62
percent
of
teens
use
Instagram,
making
it
the
third
most
popular
social
media
platform
after
YouTube
and
TikTok.
Teens
use
the
photo
and
video-sharing
platform
to
share
their
creativity,
connect
with
friends,
and
get
updates
on
their
favorite
celebrities
and
influencers.
Instagram’s
format
makes
it
easy
for
kids
(and
adults!)
to
spend
hours
using
filters
and
stickers,
commenting,
liking
posts,
and
counting
likes.
But
all
this
fun
can
take
a
turn
if
kids
misuse
the
platform
or
fail
to
take
the
risks
seriously.
Whether
your
child
is
new
to
Instagram
or
a
seasoned
IG
user,
consider
pausing
to
talk
about
the
many
aspects
of
the
platform.
Here
are
a
few
critical
topics
to
help
you
kick
off
those
conversations.
Instagram
Privacy
&
Safety
Tips
1.
Resist
oversharing.
Acknowledging
the
impulsive
behavior
and
maturity
gaps
unique
to
the
teen
years
is
essential.
Do
you
feel
like
you
are
repeating
yourself
on
these
topics?
That’s
okay—it
means
you
are
doing
it
right.
Repetition
works.
Advise
them:
Sharing
too
many
personal
details
online
can
set
them
up
for
serious
privacy
risks,
including
identity
theft,
online
scams,
sextortion,
or
cyberbullying.
Also,
oversharing
can
negatively
influence
potential
schools
and
employers
who
may
disapprove
of
the
content
teens
choose
to
share
online.
Suggestion:
Sit
down
together
and
review
Instagram’s
privacy
settings
to
limit
who
can
see
your
child’s
content.
Please
encourage
them
to
use
strong
passwords
and
two-factor
authentication
to
secure
accounts.
Also,
advise
them
to
think
twice
before
posting
something
and
warn
them
about
the
risks
of
sharing
intimate
photos
online
(even
with
friends),
as
they
can
be
easily
shared
or
stolen.
Now
may
be
the
time
if
you’ve
never
considered
adding
security
software
to
protect
your
family
devices.
McAfee+
provides
all-in-one
privacy,
identity,
and
device
protection
for
families.
It
includes
helpful
features,
including
identity
monitoring,
password
manager,
unlimited
VPN,
file
shredding,
protection
score,
and
parental
controls.
The
software
has
updated
features
to
include
personal
data
cleanup
and
credit
monitoring
and
reporting
to
protect
kids
from
identity
theft
further.
2.
Just
say
no
to
FOMO.
This
acronym
stands
for
Fear
of
Missing
Out.
This
word
came
from
the
subtle
undercurrent
of
emotions
that
can
bubble
up
when
using
social
media.
It’s
common
for
kids
to
feel
anxious
or
even
become
depressed
because
they
think
they
are
being
excluded
from
the
party.
FOMO
can
lead
them
to
spend
too
much
time
and
money
on
social
media,
neglect
their
family
or
school
responsibilities,
or
engage
in
risky
behaviors
to
fit
in
with
or
impress
others.
Suggestion:
Help
your
child
understand
that
it’s
normal
to
sometimes
have
FOMO
feelings.
Please
encourage
them
to
focus
on
their
strengths
and
to
develop
fulfilling
hobbies
and
interests
offline.
To
reduce
FOMO,
encourage
your
child
to
take
breaks
from
social
media.
Also,
install
software
to
help
you
manage
family
screen
time.
3.
Social
Comparison.
Akin
to
FOMO,
comparing
oneself
to
others
is
an
ever-present
reality
among
teens
that
is
only
amplified
on
Instagram.
According
to
several
reports,
Instagram’s
photo-driven
culture
and
photo
filters
that
enhance
facial
and
body
features
can
make
teens
feel
worse
about
their
bodies
and
increase
the
risk
of
eating
disorders,
depression,
and
risky
behaviors.
Girls,
especially,
can
develop
low
self-esteem,
comparing
themselves
to
unrealistic
or
edited
images
of
celebrities,
influencers,
or
friends.
Social
comparison
can
also
lead
to
the
fixation
on
getting
more
likes,
followers,
or
comments
on
their
posts.
Suggestion:
Create
a
safe
space
for
your
teen
to
discuss
this
topic
with
you.
Help
them
understand
the
differences
between
Instagram
life
and
real
life.
Help
them
be
aware
of
how
they
feel
while
using
Instagram.
Encourage
them
to
follow
accounts
that
inspire
and
uplift
them
and
unfollow
accounts
that
spark
feelings
of
comparison,
jealousy,
or
inferiority.
4.
Talk
about
cyberbullying.
Hurtful
events
that
impact
teens,
such
as
gossip,
rumor
spreading,
peer
pressure,
criticism,
and
conflict,
can
increase
in
online
communities.
If
your
child
posts
online,
they
can
receive
mean
or
sexual
comments
from
people
they
know
and
strangers
(trolls).
Cyberbullying
can
surface
in
many
ways
online,
making
kids
feel
anxious,
fearful,
isolated,
and
worthless.
Suggestions:
Keep
up
on
how
kids
bully
one
another
online
and
check
in
with
your
child
daily
about
what’s
happening
in
their
life.
Encourage
them
not
to
respond
to
bullies
and
to
block
and
report
the
person
instead.
Also,
if
they
are
getting
bullied,
remind
them
to
take
and
store
screenshots.
Such
evidence
can
be
helpful
if
they
need
to
confide
with
a
parent,
teacher,
or
law
enforcement.
5.
Emphasize
digital
literacy.
Understanding
how
to
discern
true
and
false
information
online
is
becoming
more
complicated
daily.
In
the
McAfee
2023
Threat
Predictions:
Evolution
and
Exploitation,
experts
predict
that
AI
tools
will
enable
more
realistic
and
efficient
manipulation
of
images
and
videos,
which
could
increase
disinformation
and
harm
the
public’s
mental
health.
Understanding
online
content
is
a
great
way
to
help
your
kids
build
their
confidence
and
security
on
Instagram
and
other
networks.
Suggestion:
Encourage
critical
thinking
and
guide
kids
to
use
fact-checking
tools
before
believing
or
sharing
content
that
could
be
fake
and
using
ethical
AI
frameworks.
Remind
them
of
their
digital
footprints
and
how
the
things
they
do
online
can
have
long-lasting
consequences.
It’s
important
to
remember
that
all
social
networks
come
with
inherent
dangers
and
that
Instagram
has
taken
a
number
of
steps
to
reduce
the
potential
risks
associated
with
its
community
by
improving
its
security
features
and
safety
rules
for
kids.
Remember,
nothing
protects
your
child
like
a
solid
parent-child
relationship.
As
a
parent
or
caregiver,
you
play
a
critical
role
in
educating
your
child
about
their
digital
well-being
and
privacy.
Working
together,
as
a
family,
your
child
will
be
equipped
to
enjoy
the
good
stuff
and
avoid
the
sketchy
side
of
the
digital
world.
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