Facebook and Instagram with new parental tools to enhance teen safety
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Today’s teens are digital natives in an Internet-centric world. They experience the benefits of online exploration, self-expression, and staying informed, but also encounter negative experiences like bullying and harassment. In a move to prioritize the safety and well-being of young users, Meta has unveiled a range of new parental control tools across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger.
Meta’s Family Center will offer new parental tools, featuring a hub in Messenger for parents to oversee their teen’s online activities. The tools also enable blocking unwanted messages on Messenger and Instagram to prevent harmful interactions and send reminders to teens to take breaks from their online engagements.
If, for example, your teen reports someone, they can choose whether or not to notify you by sending a notification. And if you wonder how to react, Meta’s Education Hub is available to parents and provides guidance on addressing issues and supporting their child in the best possible way.
In addition to the parental control tools, Meta is implementing notifications to alert teens when they have spent 20 minutes on Facebook, encouraging them to set daily time limits, which can also be set by the parent. For Instagram users, the company is exploring a new feature that prompts teens to close the app if they have been scrolling through Reels late at night.
Given that teenagers spend an average of 7 hours and 22 minutes per day in front of screens, this feature might just be what all other online platforms should have.
“However, Meta has expressed its commitment to expanding the availability of these tools to other regions across the globe.”
While Facebook has long provided parental controls for its Messenger Kids platform, the new tools are specifically designed for the main Messenger app, catering to parents with teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18.
It is important to note that using these parental control tools requires mutual consent and awareness between the parent and the teenager. Either the parent or the teen must initiate an invitation to enable the tools.
The new parental controls will be launched in the US, the UK, and Canada. However, Meta has expressed its commitment to expanding the availability of these tools to other regions across the globe. And this initial batch of parental supervision tools might be just the beginning, as Meta plans to introduce additional features and enhancements over the next year.
Questions & Answers
Q.What specific parental controls will be available in Messenger through Meta's Family Center?
What specific parental controls will be available in Messenger through Meta's Family Center?
Parents can oversee their teen's online activities, block unwanted messages, receive notifications when their teen reports someone, and monitor changes in contact lists and app usage time.
Q.Is parental consent required from the teenager to activate these new tools?
Is parental consent required from the teenager to activate these new tools?
Yes, using these parental control tools requires mutual consent and awareness between the parent and the teenager. Either the parent or the teen must initiate an invitation to enable them.
Q.In which countries will Meta first launch these new parental control features?
In which countries will Meta first launch these new parental control features?
The new parental controls will initially be launched in the US, the UK, and Canada. Meta has stated its commitment to expanding their availability to other regions globally in the future.
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