CULTURE MOMENT: Meta announced it will begin restricting the kind of content young people can access across its social platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Instagram will be the first to roll out new settings, starting next week.
The restricted teen accounts, which will be private by default, will only be visible to friends, and private messages will be restricted to people users are already connected to. Teen users will be notified when they’ve been on the app for more than 60 minutes, and notifications will be force-muted from 10 pm to 7 am. Sensitive content, such as violence and cosmetic surgeries, will be blocked from teens’ Reels and Explore feeds.?
WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT CULTURE:
- Social media safety concerns are amping up. Meta currently faces lawsuits from dozens of U.S. states accusing the company of knowingly harming young people through its social platforms.
- Parents are gaining more supervision over kids' social accounts. As part of the new restrictions, parents will be able to see who is in their teens’ social network, and who they’re exchanging messages with. Users under 16 will need a parent or guardian’s permission to change their settings to less restrictive ones.?
- Will kids care? Maybe not. Experts say there are still plenty of ways for young users to get around some of the new restrictions. For example, when notified that they’ve spent 60 minutes on the app, users can simply bypass and continue scrolling. And, let’s be honest, kids will find new workarounds the tech giant hasn’t thought of.?
WHAT IT MEANS FOR MARKETERS:
- Helps Zs find social balance. There’s no doubt that social media can have a negative impact on young people’s mental health. That said, research suggests that there are also benefits, such as providing community for young people, especially those who might otherwise feel marginalized. Support Zs in building healthy social connections, both online and off.
- Invest in age appropriate content. Meta’s new restrictions will hide sensitive content from young users, essentially altering the app's algorithm and search function. Consider how you can still reach young audiences with messages that are beneficial to their overall wellbeing (think body positivity).???
- Keep an eye on ad engagement. U.S. teens spend an average of 4.8 hours per day on social media, according to a recent Gallup study. For social platforms, that means they’re a lucrative group. Case in point: Instagram attributes most of its $4 billion annual ad revenue to 13- to 17-year-old users. Restricting teen use could have major fallout.
For more on how Gen Zs are carving out space for raw, real authenticity on social media, check out SubSocial in ALMANAC: The Gen Z Entertainment Issue.
