Meta's own research showed it harms teen girls — then they built it for teens anyway.
Ages 13–15Ages 16+
| Minimum age | 13 |
| Strangers can contact | with settings |
| Location sharing | Yes |
| Disappearing messages | Yes |
| Parental visibility | Limited |
What it actually is
Instagram is the social platform most linked to body image issues and depression in teen girls, by Meta's own internal research. The Explore page surfaces content from strangers, DMs are open by default, and anyone can follow a public account. Instagram has introduced a "Teen Accounts" mode with some restrictions, but it requires parental supervision setup and many kids use it on accounts that claim they're 18.
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Teen Accounts (new in 2024)
- Go to your child's profile → three lines → Settings
- If under 16, Instagram prompts Teen Accounts setup
- Enable "Supervision" to link your account as a parent
- This enables: content filters, daily time limits, contact restrictions
Manual settings if Teen Accounts isn't available
- Settings → Privacy → set account to Private
- Settings → Privacy → Messages → "Only people you follow can message you"
- Settings → Privacy → Tags → "Only people you follow"
- Turn off "Similar Account Suggestions"
Check regularly
- Follower/following list for unknown accounts
- Message requests folder (often hidden)
- Tagged photos your child may not have approved
Last updated: 4/17/2026