Instagram has finally realised it poses a danger to children. No, the app isn’t banning under-16s altogether, though that would be prudent. Instead, its parent company Meta has decided to prevent them from livestreaming without the approval of their parents. As part of its new Teen Accounts system, they will also require permission to disable a feature designed to blur images that may contain nudity.
These are noble attempts at undoing some of the damage Instagram has undoubtedly already done to teenagers – more than one in 10 adolescents have shown signs of problematic social media behaviour, according to a WHO report from last year. But they seem to be missing the point. Because the risks social media pose to children have little to do with the odd nude image, or the ability to livestream someone’s journey to school. In fact, I’d argue these factors have almost nothing to do with it all.
