Is Instagram OK for my child?
Photo and video sharing with Stories, Reels (the TikTok-style feed) and direct messages. Teen Accounts, rolled out from 2024, put under-18s into a more protected experience by default.
Minimum age
13
Under-18s in the UK are placed in Teen Accounts with protective defaults.
Type
Social media
Official safety page
Meta Family CentreWhat to actually watch for
- Appearance comparison and curated-perfection pressure, the best-documented harm for teenage girls in particular.
- Reels carries the same algorithmic rabbit-hole risk as TikTok.
- DMs from strangers, though Teen Accounts restrict who can message under-16s.
- Influencer content blurs advertising and reality.
The settings worth switching on
Make sure your child's account has their real date of birth so Teen Account protections apply automatically.
For under-16s, changing the protective defaults requires parental supervision to be set up, so add yourself as the supervising parent in the family centre.
Use the Hidden Words filter to block abusive comments and DMs.
Set the daily time limit and quiet hours in supervision settings.
Our honest take
The Teen Accounts system has genuinely improved the defaults: private accounts, restricted messaging and sensitive-content limits are now on from the start for under-16s. Set up supervision, keep the real date of birth, and the remaining work is the conversation about comparison culture. Our Instagram guide has the full setup.
Frequently asked questions
Go deeper
Other social media apps parents ask about
Last reviewed: August 2026. Minimum ages and settings were checked against the platform's own published policies, and platforms change them often, so the official page linked above always has the latest.