Instagram said that they believe building “Instagram Kids” is the right thing to do right now. However, Instagram recently pauses the work of creating a space for kids on the platform. They are working with parents, experts, and policymakers to express their vision of value and needs for this development. Instagram is also building opt-in parental supervision tools for teens.
In this article, we will discuss more “Instagram Kids” – a new version of Instagram for kids.
Pause “Instagram Kids” – Hot News in 2021
“Instagram Kids” is designed to become an Instagram experience for people under the age of thirteen. This app will be a solution for an important problem seen across the Internet: kids are having phones younger and younger, misrepresenting their age. And kids tend to download apps that are meant for people who are more than 13.
So, parents need to have an option to give their kids access to a new version of Instagram that is designed for them. In this new version, parents can supervise and control their kids’ experiences. It would be better for them than just depending on the ability to verify the age of kids who are too young to use their own ID.
While Instagram still keeps their need to develop this new “Instagram Kids”, they decided to pause this project. They need more time to work with parents, experts, policymakers, and regulators, to listen to their feedback, and to explain the importance of this project for younger teens online these days.
Kids are already online
Critics of “Instagram Kids” see Instagram’s decision as an acknowledgment that this project is not a good idea. That’s not the case. Actually, kids are going online more and more. So, developing age-appropriate experiences for them is way better for parents than what they are doing today.
The reality is that Instagram is not the only platform to think so. Other social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok have their own versions for their users who are under 13.
Instagram’s intention is for this new version to be different from Instagram today. The new “Instagram Kids” will be meant for tweens who are between 10 and 12 years old. It will require parental permission to join. Instagram won’t allow ads to present on this version. This app will also have age-appropriate content and features. With these features, parents can supervise the time their children spend on the app and decide on who can message them, who can follow them, and who they can follow. A long list goes on.
Building parental supervision tools
While Instagram is pausing their development of “Instagram Kids”, they will continue their work to allow parents to supervise their children’s activities by expanding these tools to teen accounts (aged 13 and over) on Instagram. Instagram will share more information about these tools in the next few months.
Continuing our focus on teen safety
Instagram did some research to better people’s experience on this platform. They are developing their app to create a safer network for everyone. Examples include their industry-leading anti-bullying work such as Restrict, Hidden Words, and Limits, and our recent changes to make Instagram accounts private by default for those under 16.
Instagram announced that they are working on two new ideas: encouraging people to look at other content if they are dwelling on one that might contribute to negative social comparison, and a feature tentatively called “Take a Break”, where people could pause their account and take some time to consider whether the time they’re spending is meaningful.
For all the parents, the safety of their children may be the most important thing in their life. Instagram is still listening to comment from society to make this app better, especially for kids.