Is Instagram Safe To Use for the Most Vulnerable Among Us?

Social media platforms are wild cards. You could stumble upon anything there. You could learn something totally new or have wildly inappropriate content assault you. It makes you wonder how well our children are doing on the app. Is Instagram safe to use for them? 

We know what the community guidelines say, but is there more that you can do to ensure their online safety? The Plixi experts will do their best to give you all the information you need.

Is Instagram Safe for Kids Using the Instagram Parental Controls?

Instagram parental controls make it safer for our kids to use Instagram. We live in a time where everything is at our fingertips. Anything we need to know is just a Google away. Anything we need to buy is just a few swipes away. 

This makes us feel very, very comfortable. Until, of course, we remember that all this information is just as accessible to children. So, is Instagram safe for kids? We will discuss Instagram parental controls, and you can decide for yourself.

First of all, we need to make it clear what we mean by “kids.” No one under the age of 13 should even have an account by Instagram’s rules. Therefore, we’re talking about the teenagers among us. Let’s talk about the features that Instagram has included so parents can be comfortable without using third-party apps.

IG Let’s You Know Who They Blocked

As an Instagram user yourself, you understand how convenient it is to block someone. Having the option to do this can make or break your existence on the Instagram app. But it also means that you know what led you to this point. Blocking someone is a last resort when options like muting and restricting exist. 

So, you may be very concerned when your teen decides to block an account. Is Instagram safe because a problematic account can no longer access your child? Probably not. Luckily, the social media app will tell you the accounts that they blocked. 

This is great because your child might think that blocking is enough. In your parental estimation, you may want to take more aggressive action. IG gives you the tools to make this decision.

IG Lets You Monitor Their Activity

Even as adults, we are still trying to master time management. It’s perfectly normal if your teen needs a little extra help, too. You could scroll on Instagram forever. Sometimes, the only thing stopping us from wasting an entire day on the app is our thumb getting tired. 

Fortunately, our children don’t have to suffer the same fate. Instagram parental controls give parents a look into how long their children use the app. With this information, they can make informed decisions with time limits on the app. This is something we could all use if we’re honest.

You can also have access to the list of accounts that your child follows. What can be even more intriguing is knowing the accounts that follow your child. You can keep tabs on anyone that looks a little bit sketchy.

Is Instagram Safe for Teens’ Mental Health?

Teens these days get a lot of criticism. People love to call them lazy and entitled and say that they overshare too much. If someone needs to stick up for them, I guess it will have to be us. 

Teens have to go through a lot that the generations above them didn’t have to deal with. Social media apps for teens are a whole new ball game that they have to navigate. Is Instagram safe for teens’ mental health? Let’s discuss the issues that may come up from this app.

Photoshop and Filters 

The human race has officially forgotten what real people look like. Think of the problematic compliments like, “She doesn’t age!” Think of all the body shape trends that come in and out like a revolving door. Think of the overreliance on the filters that make us look like a different person. Instagram is a place where many people’s self-esteem goes to die. 

The younger you are, the more normal this kind of mental gymnastics is. It’s enough to make teens feel inadequate with their natural features. The Instagram AI filter trends are fun until they make teens want to look like something they are not.

Cyberbullying

This phenomenon is nothing new. The internet has always been a hotspot for faceless characters to harass others. Instagram does have measures in place to report harmful people. Still, people are always free to create new accounts. 

IG provides different forums to harass someone else. People can harass teens in their direct messages or on their Instagram stories. It’s enough to make someone delete the app altogether.

Have a Hacked Instagram Account? Signs To Report Instagram Account Hack

Is Instagram safe from hackers yet? Unfortunately, no. Some of your friends and family are still falling victim to account hacking. You don’t want to fall victim as well. So, how do Instagram accounts get hacked? Here are three signs of a hacked Instagram account.

1. Activity You Don’t Recognize

If you look in your DMs and something feels off, look more closely. Is there a message in your DMs that you know you didn’t send? Is it a weird message where you ask someone what their number is? 

Maybe you’re noticing that you liked photos that you don’t remember double-tapping. If you notice very strange activity, the smoke could lead to a fire. You can’t be too careful.

2. Instagram Emails You

Instagram is not one of those apps that needs to email you everything. You can use that app comfortably, knowing that all the information can come through the app. This is why it’s particularly jarring to get an email from Instagram.

If you get an email from Instagram, it’s likely for something very important. You might get an email saying that someone is attempting to change your password. Naturally, it would make sense to email this as opposed to sending it through an app notification.

Do you see an email from “security@mail.instagram.com?” Don’t hesitate to click “Secure my account” to rectify the situation. 

3. Suspicious Login Activity on Your Account

Instagram has a general idea of the devices that you use to access the app. You might have a laptop, iPad, and a phone that you regularly use to manage your Instagram accounts. Logging in outside of these devices can trigger Instagram. They may send you a notification that a random new device has access to your account.

This notification usually comes complete with the location of the device. It could be that you have a new device and you are using Instagram on it. Maybe you borrowed someone’s laptop to sign in. Or it could be that someone in a remote country has compromised your account. This email allows you to take action if the worst is true. 

You may want to report an Instagram account hack if any of these scenarios are true. Then, taking steps to implement two-factor authentication should be next.

Is Instagram Safe To Use? 3 Ways To Attract Instagram Stalkers Without Knowing It

We can’t just sing Instagram’s praises without being realistic about its risks. Back in the day, stalkers may have followed you down a dark street. They lurked around corners in sunglasses and baseball caps. 

Okay, maybe we’re being dramatic. But that doesn’t change the fact that stalkers have much help nowadays. Social media influencers make it easier for Instagram stalkers by oversharing personal details. You might think you’re a private person. We dare you to take a look at these ways that you may put a target on your back.

1. You Post While You’re at the Location

When your brand is about being personable and relatable, it’s easy to let your guard down. You feel connected to the thousands of invisible faces, and it leads you to do weird things. For example, the biggest mistake that social media creators make is sharing where they are in real-time. 

You just got to your favorite coffee shop in the city. Yes, you are feeling very, very good that you are there. The vibes are just right, and you’re being productive. The unction to share this with your followers is strong. You take the bait and share a picture of the coffee cup, logo and all. 

This is such a rookie mistake. You are compromising your safety by sharing where people can find you. You may not be vigilant enough to notice a new person there who wasn’t before.

Seasoned Instagram users know that they only share their location after they’ve left the location. Some travel influencers don’t even share the hotel they’re staying at until they’ve landed home. The followers think that they’re watching something in real-time. They’re not. 

You may be wondering, “Why would someone stalk me? I’m not a famous Instagram influencer yet.” We wish we could answer that. While we don’t understand why people do this, it’s a fact that they do. 

The fact that you’re not yet famous is irrelevant. People develop parasocial relationships with people they don’t know all the time. It’s easy to develop an obsession with someone who isn’t that far out of reach. The stalker could be someone in our local community who you may see “coincidentally.”

2. You Disclosed Your Favorite Spots

Posting only after leaving our location is not enough. Yes, it’s a great first step, but it won’t keep the more dedicated stalkers at bay. Say that you are a person of routine. People know that on a certain day, at a certain time, you will be at a certain location. This is because you may have shared it in your content. 

You may have done a “Day in the Life” reel, and people made note of your regular spots. Or, on Monday mornings, you usually post about getting matcha with the hashtag #matchaMondays. You don’t show any logos, but the background is ambiguous. In fact, it just takes a person visiting a location one time to recognize it again in someone else’s story.

Maybe it’s time to switch it up. Try out different coffee spots for a while. Maybe you will find a place that you love more. This time, keep it to yourself. 

3. You Showed Your Car or House

It’s perfectly normal to get excited about your accomplishments. You worked hard, and now you have the car of your dreams. Unfortunately, because it is a unique car, people can recognize you in real life. 

This doesn’t apply to just cars. It could simply apply to distinguishing features that set you apart. Maybe you shared the background while taking a picture on your lawn. Paying attention to little things like this is a matter of safety.

No, you don’t have to leave the app completely. You may just need to adjust how you share information on Instagram. So, is Instagram safe to use? It is a tricky minefield to navigate, that’s for sure. You don’t want to have to face the Privacy Settings while growing your page alone. 

Plixi has the tools to help you reach your goals. We have an in-house platform for Instagram influencers. To make it even better, we also have a propriety AI targeting algorithm. With us, you can start growing and gaining Instagram followers today!