Instagram lana guides to prevent teenagers from being in danger in the app | Social networks

Instagram launched a guide to support parents who have teenage children on the social network. Developed in partnership with educational organizations and institutions that deal with psychological health, the document aims to help those responsible to talk with their children about their experience on Instagram, presenting from a glossary with common media terms to the main security tools of the app. Available in Portuguese, the so-called Instagram Parent Guide also reinforces that the minimum age for creating an account on the social network is 13 years old.

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We know that many parents and guardians think about what their teenagers are doing online, and we feel a great responsibility to ensure that Instagram is a positive place for them to connect and share, said Instagram Operations Director Marne Levine in a statement posted on the social network blog. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 72% of American teenagers aged 13 to 17 use Instagram.

In the Parent's Guide, Instagram provides an overview of its main security tools, focusing on three aspects: how to manage privacy, interactions and time on the social network. The 47-page manual also includes a series of questions to help those responsible for digital natives to know what they do on the network, for example, how they react to strangers' approaches and offensive comments. Know the main points covered in the Parent Guide below.

Parents' Guide presents the main tools to protect children and adolescents Photo: Divulgao / InstagramParents' Guide presents the main tools to protect children and adolescents Photo: Divulgao / Instagram

Parents' Guide presents the main tools to protect children and adolescents Photo: Divulgao / Instagram

Privacy management

In terms of privacy, the first choice that parents can make with their children is to decide whether the account is public or private. Private accounts allow the teenager to approve requests only from known and desired followers, and also remove people from the list of those who follow them. Already in a public account, the content of the user's feed and stories is exposed to anyone. You can change your profile privacy at any time by accessing the settings.

In Options, slide to "Private account" and activate the gray key to make the Instagram account private Photo: Reproduo / Isabela GiantomasoIn Options, slide to "Private account" and activate the gray key to make the Instagram account private Photo: Reproduo / Isabela Giantomaso

In Options, slide to "Private account" and activate the gray key to make the Instagram account private Photo: Reproduo / Isabela Giantomaso

If your child receives unwanted messages and comments, Instagram allows you to block accounts that you no longer interact with. Just access the profile of the person in question, tap …, in the upper right corner, and choose the option to block.

  It is possible to block an unpleasant profile on Instagram Photo: Reproduo / Barbara Mannara  It is possible to block an unpleasant profile on Instagram Photo: Reproduo / Barbara Mannara

It is possible to block an unpleasant profile on Instagram Photo: Reproduo / Barbara Mannara

Interaction management

To prevent cyberbullying and harassment on the network, Instagram has the option of reporting any and all abusive content. Denouncements are anonymous and can be made on accounts, posts (be it video or photo) and even specific comments.

Way to report a profile on the Instagram app for iPhone Photo: Reproduo / Marvin CostaWay to report a profile on the Instagram app for iPhone Photo: Reproduo / Marvin Costa

Way to report a profile on the Instagram app for iPhone Photo: Reproduo / Marvin Costa

In addition, teenagers can restrict who comments on their profiles and create a manual filter of words, phrases and even emojis that they do not want to appear in comments from their own publications. These features are accessed in the Comment Control section, in the Instagram configuration options.

Application has configuration to control who can make comments on your posts Photo: Reproduo / InstagramApplication has configuration to control who can make comments on your posts Photo: Reproduo / Instagram

Application has configuration to control who can make comments on your posts Photo: Reproduo / Instagram

Instagram plans to provide a number of tools to help caregivers understand how teenagers have spent their time on the social network and finding a balance. The feature, released in August and not yet implemented in the application, consists of an activity panel in which you can see graphs of the average time spent on the social network in the past days or weeks.

The Parents' Guide indicates that, if they feel the sessions are being too long, parents will have the option of setting up daily reminders to set an optimal time limit. Instagram also offers the option of silencing notifications for a specified period.

Manage time spent on Instagram Photo: Divulgao / InstagramManage time spent on Instagram Photo: Divulgao / Instagram

Manage time spent on Instagram Photo: Divulgao / Instagram

Via Parents' Guide and Instagram