We’ve seen an uptick in concerns over the past few months.
Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, has been dealing with child safetyconcernsforyears.
“There are upsides and downsides to social media,” said Wimberley Earp, parent andcontent creator.
“[Teens] connect with friends and learn things about their interests and hobbies.
My teen is a soccer player and he spends time watching drills, soccer players and learning techniques.
The default restrictions that come with Instagram teen accounts were a welcome change for many parents.
Like any update, teen accounts aren’t completely foolproof.
Teens committed to escaping the restrictions can simply create a new adult account – no age verification required.
But no system is perfect.
Age prediction at a global scale, like on Instagram, is very difficult, said Sinha.
But every family is different, which is one concern that educators brought up.
If one platform gets too restrictive, then teens will just find another one.
For Earp, opening these lines of communication is essential.
