Meta is making changes to what teens can see when using Instagram and Facebook. The company announced on Tuesday it will start hiding certain types of content on both apps and restrict specific search terms on Instagram. These changes are for all teens under 18.

“Now, when people search for terms related to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, we’ll start hiding these related results and will direct them to expert resources for help,” Meta stated in a blog post.

The new policies come as Meta is facing dozens of state lawsuits, possible federal legislation and mounting pressure from child safety advocacy groups to make its social networks safer for kids….

Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University and author of the book Generations, says this is a step in the right direction but that it’s still hard to police who is actually a teen on Facebook and Instagram.

“You do not need parental permission to sign up for a social media account,” Twenge says. “You check a box saying that you’re 13, or you choose a different birth year and, boom, you’re on.”

Read more:

Kerr, D. (2024, January 9). Under growing pressure, Meta vows to make it harder for teens to see harmful content. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/01/09/1223583540/meta-harmful-content-instagram-harder-teens-facebook