In late September, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced that the social media company would be pausing production on an app titled “Instagram Kids.” The company planned to release a software update to make the social media platform accessible to children under the age of 13, which, according to the company guidelines, is the youngest you can be to have an account, citing that children under that age were already misrepresenting their age to gain access to the platform.
The announcement of the pause in development follows the news that Facebook, the company who owns Instagram, was made aware of the harmful impact social media can have on its users, specifically children. The news came from a whistleblower, a former company employee who said that even though the company was aware of how the social media platforms could be used in a harmful way, they chose to ignore this data in favor of growing the companies.
Social media and technology as a whole has changed how children process information and what information they have access to.
Aya Shigeto, associate professor in the department of psychology and neuroscience at NSU, said that as technology has evolved, its relationship with children has evolved in complexity.
“We know that babies and toddlers learn best through human interactions, and so when they’re watching TV or something on an iPad, it’s a very passive action. But aside from well-regarded TV programs like Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, it’s probably more detrimental than beneficial,” said Shigeto.
Shigeto explained that, especially following the pandemic, children have been intertwined with technology and social media at even higher rates than before. Children, especially children who have been exposed to technology and being online at a younger age, have more trouble paying attention for longer spans of time. This is shown particularly in online learning, and while many teachers ask their students to keep their cameras on to make sure they’re paying attention, parents are often at work and aren’t able to enforce this rule to make sure their children are paying attention to their class instead of the rest of the internet.
Shigeto went on to say that while we should be holding social media companies and the government accountable in protecting children in this new technological age, it’s also the responsibility of parents to have critical conversations about existing online with their children.
“When we’re talking about social media, parents also need to think about cell phone and computer access. Kids don’t know what’s acceptable to say or do on the internet, and with things like cyber bullying and online predators, it’s important for parents to come up with some sort of way to monitor what they’re doing,” Shigeto explained.
Social changes in children thought to be caused by being online more often can already be observed. Playing together and spending time on the internet is more often the most convenient option.
“Even if parents encourage their kids to go outside and play or talk to other kids, if there’s no one else outside, you’re going to stop and go back inside. It’s this vicious cycle because you may be willing to change and go outside and talk face-to-face, but other people might not be,” said Shigeto.
Shigeto explained that social media can be addicting to both children and adults, citing things like the way Netflix plays the next episode in 10 seconds, unless the user stops the show and how TikTok is an endless cycle of scrolling. She says that developing Instagram Kids is like putting a tiny bandage over a huge wound. Despite extensive backlash after the announcement, Instagram still plans to implement Instagram Kids as a way to give them more age-appropriate data while keeping them on the platform.
