Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms for teens with 59% of teens using the app. With Instagram being popular with teens, they have decided to set new protection policies for people 18 and under. They have decided to create new “Teen Accounts”.

All accounts that are run by someone that is under the age of 18, will now become private and become a “Teen Account”. These new accounts will limit “Sensitive content”. The sensitive content can range from many different topics. Teens will also get a notification when they have been on the app for too long. However, all notifications from the app will be muted between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

This new update will not be immediate. Some might get the update within the next 60 days while others might not get it until next year.

Parents will be allowed to control some of the privacy settings. Teens can request to change their privacy settings and parents can choose what requests they would like to approve. Later on, parents will be allowed to change the default settings to make them more strict if they would like.

This new update might have a lot of controversy. Isabella Guitierrez, a freshman at Eleanor Roosevelt High School does not believe that the new update should be put in place. “I think that we should be responsible enough to watch our activity and what we do on Instagram,” Guitierrez said.

However, Akhila Thupally, also a freshman at Roosevelt High School believes that “Teen Accounts” are a good update.

Thupally states, “Teens who are kids under the age of 18 who have Instagram accounts are safer in many ways.”

She later said, “Parents also might feel more comfortable with their kids having Instagram accounts because of this new update.”