Instagram is introducing new features to ensure safe, positive, and age-appropriate experiences, particularly for teens. These features include the ability to reset recommendations, allowing users to clear their recommended content across Explore, Reels, and Feed and start fresh. Over time, recommendations will personalize based on interactions. Users can also review and unfollow accounts sharing unwanted content.
Instagram has partnered with Joanna and Clea from The Home Edit to provide tips for parents and teens on organizing their Instagram accounts, similar to organizing their homes.
The new feature builds on existing tools that allow users to curate their recommendations. Users can indicate their interest in content by selecting "Interested" or "Not interested" from the three-dot menu. Teens in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia can choose topics they want to see more of, like books, travel, cooking, and sports. The Hidden Words feature allows users to hide content with specific words or phrases.
Additional Tools for Teens
Teens can switch to a Following Feed to see content in chronological order or add accounts to a Favorites list for prioritized content. The Close Friends feature controls who sees their Stories, and the "Your activity" section in settings helps manage previous interactions. Teens are encouraged to regularly review their following lists to ensure they enjoy the content.
Age-Appropriate Content
To address parental concerns, Instagram has stricter rules on content visibility for teens. Content that breaks rules is removed, and steps are taken to prevent teens from seeing sensitive or mature content. A new page in the Transparency Center explains these protections and provides examples of removed or hidden content.
These updates aim to enhance the Instagram experience, making it safer and more enjoyable for teens.
