Social networks have firmly entered our lives and it will not be possible to ignore them, especially when there is a child over seven years old in the house. It is at this age that the baby goes to school and gradually begins to be interested in the Internet with its capabilities.
Today we will talk about Instagram accounts. When can children open them, are there any features and what to fear?
What is Instagram?
If you are not familiar with this social network, we will help you learn more about it. Instagram or simply “Insta” is a real treasure for those who love beautiful photos and interesting videos.
Access to the network is carried out using a smartphone or tablet, you will not be able to edit or add new material on your computer, only reading mode is available.
Instagram photos usually have short captions with relevant hashtags for easy search among other posts. For example, to find recipes for cooking, just enter the popular hashtag #instafood in the search, photos will appear, and when you go, you will see a finished recipe under the photo.
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Instagram – instructions for parents
In 2018, Instagram posted a special guide in English aimed at parents of teenagers. By the way, it was created with the help of the same mothers and fathers as we are, with the difference that they work in this network.
The manual explains how the application works, its settings and management, there is a detailed description of each term. In addition, the guide contains ten questions that you can ask your child to point out the correct actions within the app.
Since 2018, children under the age of 16 need official permission from adults to create a social media account. Hence, this applies to Instagram as well.
If the child is under 16 and the parent has not submitted a photo of an ID document to verify the account, the account will be suspended. Another confirmation method is sending a credit card payment equal to 0.50 cents.
Despite the restrictions, there are many children’s accounts registered with a fake date of birth. Unfortunately, in this case, the network cannot take any action.
Child and Instagram – possible risks
Instagram, like any other social networks, can cause insomnia, decreased attention, but the most dangerous thing is the transfer of personal information to unauthorized persons. Read more about child privacy here .
Instagram has a chat feature so anyone can write a message. Another problem that often worries parents is the dependence on the number of likes. If it is important for a child that uploaded photos are in the first place, he will often look at his smartphone and worry when there are not enough responses.
How to protect your child’s account
You can protect your account by making it private. There is an icon in the lower right corner, click on the theme and go to settings and then to “privacy” where the personal account function is activated. Thus, he will be able to add friends only to his acquaintances.
Tips for Parents
Don’t be too negative about using Instagram. In general, children share pleasant, funny, or creative messages with each other, but activity tracking is highly recommended.
Ask your child to add you as a friend to see who communicates with him and on what topic. If you see negative points, discuss together. For example, when he adds a stranger as a friend, remind him of the possible consequences and ask him to delete or introduce you to this user in person.
It makes no sense to ban apps, the internet and smartphones, your child is growing up in this environment, it would be right to constantly talk about safety, that the world is not limited to the Internet, and likes cannot be the meaning of life.