How to set up Instagram and Reels safely for a teen, what "Teen Account" actually does, and what to say if you say no.
Your child wants Instagram, usually because their friend group is sharing photos there or because they want to follow specific creators, sports stars or musicians. The official minimum age is 13. Instagram now places under-18s into a default "Teen Account" with tighter settings, but younger children with fake birthdates miss those protections.
Instagram's biggest risks for teens are body-image and mental-health content served through Reels and Explore, direct messages from strangers, and the slow leak of personal information through stories and tagged locations. Most of these can be reduced with the right setup. The harder problem — what the algorithm shows them once they engage with sensitive topics — needs ongoing conversation, not just one settings session.
Ask what they want from Instagram: posting, following friends, following creators, or all three. The answer changes how you set it up.
If under 13, decline and explain Instagram's own rule. If 13+ and you agree, set the account up together using their real birthdate so Teen Account protections apply.
Set the account to Private before they follow anyone. Walk through who can follow them, message them, and tag them.
Turn off Reels and Explore suggestions where possible, and use "Not interested" aggressively in the first week to train the algorithm away from sensitive content.
Agree no Instagram in the bedroom overnight. The night-time scroll is where most of the body-image and comparison harm happens.
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If an adult is messaging your child sexually, asking for images, or pressuring them to move to another app, screenshot and report to CEOP (https://www.ceop.police.uk). For sustained bullying through comments or DMs, report in-app and contact the school. If your child is in immediate danger, call 999. NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000 if you want to talk through a non-urgent concern.
ตรวจสอบล่าสุด: 2026-05-17
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