Instagram to Alert Parents About Teens’ Self-Harm Searches
Parents, this is something you’ll want to know about.
Instagram is rolling out a new feature that will alert parents if their teen repeatedly searches for suicide or self-harm content on the app. The update comes from parent company Meta, and it’s the first time they’ll proactively notify parents about this type of search behavior instead of just blocking terms or sending teens to outside resources.
Starting next week, families in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada who use Instagram’s Teen Accounts with supervision tools turned on will begin receiving these alerts. A global rollout is expected later.
Meta says if a teen searches for harmful content multiple times in a short period, parents will get a notification — along with expert-backed resources meant to help guide what can be a very tough conversation.
But not everyone is sold on the idea.
The Molly Rose Foundation says these alerts could actually do more harm than good. Their concern? A sudden notification might leave parents scared and unsure of what to say next. Meanwhile, Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide says while it’s a step forward, the bigger issue is that harmful content is still finding its way to young people in the first place.
At the end of the day, every parent wants to know if their child is struggling. The real question is whether an app notification is enough — or if the conversation needs to start long before the alert ever shows up.
The Kickback w/ Jazzi Black and DJ Wire Weekdays 9A-3P, Saturdays 12P-3 P | Follow us on IG @kickbackoffair , Follow Jazzi Black on TikTok @jazziblack
