Tips for safely setting up Instagram for kids

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I recently received an email asking me if I had any tips on setting up Instagram safely for his daughter? Seemed like a great question and one that I get asked often. Instagram is easily the most popular social media app for middle school kids and as parents, we need to understand the concerns as well as the safety measures involved.

Here are the major safety concerns for Instagram:

Intended for users 12 years and older

It is certainly a parent’s decision as to when their child is ready to use Instagram. The App Store gives it a 12+ rating for mild sexual content and nudity, mild profanity and suggestive themes. It really has no built in safety features for the younger audience when it comes to these subjects.

Profiles automatically default to ‘Public’ 

When a profile is initially set up, Instagram defaults to public. This means that anyone can see your pictures and anyone can follow you without having any control over this. Always make sure you switch the account to private. When the account is private, only people who are approved can see the photos and videos on the account.

To set the account to private, go to options by clicking the options icon in the top right corner of the profile page. At the bottom of the options screen there is a setting ‘Private Account’. Turn that to the on position.

Photos can be tagged with a location and the Photo Map option can be used

Always ensure that the location services setting for the camera is off on your child’s device. When location services is on, each picture is tagged with location data that says exactly where that picture was taken. There is a feature in Instagram called Photo Map. This feature maps every picture that is tagged with location information on a Google map. Kids take hundreds of pictures and post to Instagram. This can be a predator’s dream come true when location services is on. It will provide followers with enough information to determine where the child lives, goes to school and hangs out.

Bullying and self esteem issues can arise

Teenagers pay close attention to how many followers they have and how many likes they receive for the pictures they post. At this age, they tend to draw many conclusions about their social status and this can lead to self esteem issues. Additionally, Instagram provides a platform for kids to comment on each other’s pictures. Be aware that this can often lead to cyberbullying situations.

Here’s a quick checklist for you to use to help ensure your child’s safety on Instagram:

  1. Make sure you have your child’s user name and password.
  2. Make sure the account is set to ‘Private Account’.
  3. Make sure that Location Services for the camera is disabled.
  4. Follow your child and ensure that photos are appropriate.
  5. Talk to your child about the comments they receive, comments they make to others, and how this affects things such as self confidence and friendships.
  6. Stay informed on issues that arise around the app. For example, there was recently an issue involving posting of fake celebrity phone numbers on Instagram so that kids would call them. Read more about it as well as how to protect your child from this on this blog.

Obviously the number one goal as a parent is to ensure our children’s safety. However, if you are involved in their online activity, you will open the door to many other parenting opportunities and conversations.

News Alert: Sexting incident at Illinois High School

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Sadly, 4 more teenagers have been caught sexting and may face criminal charges in this most recent incident at Ridgewood High School, in Norridge, IL. This time, it is 2 females and 2 males that are being potentially charged. This is another example of why parents need to continue the conversation with their children about this issue.

As a parent, it can sometimes be challenging to start this conversation with your child or your child my be very uncomfortable talking about this with you. In an earlier post, Snapchat: Do these pictures really disappear forever?, I talked about a method I refer to as ‘The 3rd Party Approach’. Try using this article as a starting point for your discussion. I find that talking about a specific incident is more comfortable for both the parent and the child.

At the conclusion of this article, this statement was made:

Police said this was the first case of sexting at the high school, and many of the kids didn’t realize it is a crime to send explicit photos of youths that age.

We need to continually educate our children about sexting. Once is not enough. The consequences of this behavior are far reaching and can have a tremendous impact on their future. This is one mistake that we cannot allow our children to make.