Sixty-eight percent of 15-17 year olds use the Instagram platform according to a 2023 Pew Research study. The social media app has launched a new option for teens. The app has restricted “Teen Accounts” that can improve both mental and physical health, as well as safety according the app’s website. Spanish teacher Meagan Hearne discusses why she believes it’s important to have these restrictions.
“I think it’s important for minors to have social media restrictions for multiple things,” Hearne said.
The accounts will feature restrictions, including screen time warnings. Junior Danni Riley believes teens addicted to the app should have time limits.
“I would spend a lot of time on Instagram,” Riley said. “I think if you’re addicted to Instagram like me then you should probably have a time limit on it.”
Hearne is concerned that an issue caused by too much screen time is the loss of sleep.
“Kids are losing sleep because they’re on their phones,” Hearne said. “You’re not giving your body sleep, and eventually that’s going to catch up and it’s going to catch up in a way that will manifest itself in mental illness and physical illness.”
To help teens stay off the app during the night the app will go into sleep mode from 10 p.m.-7 a.m. Social studies department chair, Laurie Martin supports this idea.
“I also like that it won’t allow teens access from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. which will hopefully encourage them to spend more time sleeping and less time on social media,” Martin said.
Parents will be able to control screen time settings, and see what content their teens are viewing.
Martin believes parents should be aware of what their children are doing online.
“It’s important that parents always know what their children are doing online and to protect them from issues that teens don’t yet have the ability or wisdom to navigate on their own,” Martin said.
Mental health is one of the issues that Instagram is focusing on with this option. Riley admits that social media has affected her mental health negatively.
“I do think that it’s probably made my mental health a little worse,” Riley said.
Riley thinks the changes will benefit teens even though they might not act like it.
“I think it will benefit, but I feel like a lot of people are just going to act like or say they don’t like it,” Riley said.
Martin believes it’s the right direction, but other social media apps need to follow suit.
“I definitely think it’s a start,” Martin said. “That being said, Instagram is only one form of social media. If all other types of social media follow suit I think that would be greatly beneficial.”
Teens like Riley already enjoy multiple things on the app and will be able to continue to even after the restrictions are in place.
“It’s a good way to connect with people and to see what other people are up to,” Riley said.
