About 75 percent of teenagers actively use social media, being connected to content all around the world. However, content on the popular social media app Instagram will begin to offer changes for this select group.

On Sept. 17, Meta, the company that manages Instagram, released a statement on their website introducing the concept of Instagram Teen Accounts.

According to the statement, Teen Accounts are being implemented to address concerns of screen time, stranger interaction, and adult-rated content.

Users under the age of 16 will be set to default private accounts and strict messaging restrictions, and be removed from seeing sensitive content such as violence, sexually-explicit, or cosmetic procedures.

Additionally, Meta is beginning to make changes to filter language, give time limits, and enable sleep mode between 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on the app.

In order to change certain restrictions, teens are required to enable a parental guardian to supervise their account. Adult supervision will allow parents to accept requests for setting changes.

Furthermore, Instagram will provide parents messaging insight, and screen time restriction abilities. Some students disagree with this restriction.

“From a youth perspective, I believe parents having access to the ability to control their teen’s social media activity, without a valid reason, is an invasion of privacy,” Jeremiah Parangan ’27 affirms.

He added,

Meta has plans to place these changes into the app around this November for users in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia. Eventually, the rest of the world will face these adjustments starting in January 2025.

AP Computer Science teacher Stuart Kaler said,“At first blush, these protections give the impression of better protections against peer bullying and inappropriate contact with nefarious actors. Will these protections seem intrusive to teens?…Time and experience will tell.”