Published 17 Feb 2025

Parental Control Instagram: Ensure Your Child’s Safety Online

Instagram is useful to communicate with friends, learn, and have fun, but you should always be aware of cyber threats: cyberbullying, harassment, fraud, racism, and body shaming. The Internet is especially dangerous for children who do not yet know how to protect themselves. So the children’s safety on Instagram is the parents’ responsibility. Luckily, there are several convenient parental control Instagram features that help keep children safe while allowing them to enjoy all the benefits of the platform. But it is not always possible to use this feature. In this article, we will show you how to set up and use parental control Instagram so that your child can use the platform while remaining safe from potential risks.

Why Can The Online World Be Dangerous For Your Child?

Children are spending more time online than ever before. The internet offers incredible opportunities for learning and creativity, but it also poses serious dangers. One of the big problems is cyberbullying. Unfortunately, children can be exposed to offensive language and violent content that can seriously affect their mental health. In addition, tech companies often invade privacy by collecting data for marketing. This targeted advertising can be undesirable for children and teens. So, how can parents monitor Instagram anonymusly without account to keep their children safe? 

Why Monitor Your Child’s Instagram Activity?

With parental control on Instagram, you can help keep your child safe. Here are some of the top reasons to monitor their activity:

• Prevent cyberbullying: Instagram can be a hot spot for cyberbullying. With parental controls, you can spot any negative interactions early and intervene if needed.
• Protect from inappropriate content: Kids can easily come across inappropriate images or messages. By monitoring their activity, you can keep them away from harmful content that they may not be ready for.
• Encourage positive interactions: By monitoring who your kid interacts with, you can guide them toward healthy friendships and keep them away from bad influences. 
• Manage main privacy settings: Many kids and teens don’t understand how important privacy is online. Parental controls protect kids from unwanted acquaintances by ensuring that only trusted friends can see their posts. 
• Open communication: Communicate with your teenager, or child about how to protect yourself in the online space, how to get the most out of it, and avoid threats.

Using Parental Control Instagram protects your child. But here the question arises – how to access your child’s content on Instagram? The platform does not provide enough functions. Special applications come to the rescue. 

Instagram Parental Control: Ways to Monitor Your Child’s Instagram 

Parental control Instagram helps protect children from potential threats. Since children spend a lot of time online, monitoring their activity by parents is necessary. But how to monitor your children’s activity on Instagram? There are many ways. Let’s study each of them, assessing their pros and cons. 

Internet Parental Control: Manage Your Instagram Security Settings

Instagram has a bunch of features that can help make it a safer place for your kids. Here’s how to use parental controls to keep them protected while they’re on the app.

Make Their Account Private

Once your kid hits 13, you can let them create an Instagram account, but make sure it’s set to private. By default, accounts are public, which means anyone can see what they post.  

To switch to a private account:

1. Head to your kid’s Instagram profile.
2. Tap the three lines in the top-right corner.
3. Go to Settings.
4. Click on Privacy.
5. Toggle the Private Account option to turn it on.

Turn Off Geotagging

Geotagging lets users share their location, which isn’t great for kids. Luckily, you can easily turn this off.

Just:

1. Go to Settings on your phone.
2. Select Apps.
3. Find Instagram.
4. In Permissions, tap on Location and set it to “Deny.”

Now, your kid’s location won’t be visible.

Block Access To Specific Accounts  

Teens can get pretty obsessed with popularity, which can attract the wrong crowd. Kids should only interact with people they know in real life. If you see any suspicious followers, it’s best to remove them.

To block someone:

1. Go to your kid’s profile and select Followers.
2. Click on the follower you want to block.
3. Tap the three dots on their profile.
4. Choose Block.

Make sure to talk to your kids about keeping their friend list limited to people they actually know.

Keep Personal Details to a Minimum

While it’s common for adults to share personal info in their bios, kids should steer clear of this. Maybe a funny quote or a few lines about themselves, but no private info. 

Unfollow Some Accounts  

Instagram has all sorts of content, and not all of it is kid-friendly. Regularly check what your kids are following. If you spot anything that’s not suitable, here’s how to unfollow it:

1. Go to their profile.
2. Tap Following.
3. Next to the user, tap the Following button.
4. Choose Unfollow.

Hide Stories or Limit Them to Close Friends

Instagram allows people to hide stories from specific people, so they won’t see them in their feed or get notifications.   

1. To hide a story:
2. Go to the Profile page.
3. Tap the three lines in the top-right corner.
4. Select Settings.
5. Go to Privacy.

Choose Story and add users to customize who sees it, or create a Close Friends list.

Block Notifications From Specific Accounts

If your kid is getting unwanted notifications from certain accounts on Instagram, you can easily block those notifications.  

1. To block notifications from specific accounts:
2. Go to their profile on Instagram.
3. Select the following account that you want to mute.
4. Tap on the three dots at the top of their profile.
5. Choose Mute from the menu.

You can then decide to mute either their posts, stories, or both. 

Glassagrm: Control Your Child On Instagram  

Navigating Instagram can be tough for parents, but with the right tools, you can keep your child’s online experience safe and positive. A great option for Instagram parental control is Glassagrm. This   Instagram monitoring app for parents lets you discreetly check your kids’ Instagram activity without invading their privacy. So, If your child or teen has a private account and doesn’t want you to follow them, you can use an anonymous Instagram profile viewer. This tool lets you see their private account activities, photo stories, and who they follow. It’s completely anonymous, so your child won’t know that you’re following them. This way, you can give him freedom without ruining your relationship and, at the same time, protect her/him.

With Glassagrm, you can:

• View Activity: Keep an eye on who your child follows and how they interact, all without them knowing.
• Monitor Posts and Stories: See what content they’re sharing with followers, what stories they post, etc. 
• Protect your child: You can always intervene if you notice something dangerous.

Stay informed and proactive about your child’s online interactions! 

Parental Control Internet: Talking to Kids About Online Safety

Parental control Instagram tools are super helpful, but talking to your kids about online safety is just as crucial. Here’s how to tackle the conversation.

Encourage your kids to share their online experiences with you. Ask about the websites they visit, the games they play, and their interactions on social media. This helps build trust and makes them feel comfortable bringing up any concerns.

Discuss why privacy is important online. Teach them not to share personal info like their full name, address, or school on public platforms. Talk about cyberbullying and the importance of treating others with respect, even online. Let them know it’s totally okay to block or report anyone who makes them uncomfortable. By keeping the lines of communication open, you help your kids navigate the online world safely and responsibly.  

FAQ 

What’s parental control on Instagram all about?

Parental control of the Internet is a set of tools and stats that helps parents and guardians support their kids (ages 13 to 17) while using Instagram. Using this feature isn’t mandatory. A parent can’t set up controls without their child’s consent, and the parent and teen can turn off the parental controls whenever they want. If someone disables the controls, the other person gets a notification about it.

What types of content can I block with parental controls?

You can block various types of content, including explicit websites, certain apps, and specific keywords. Many Internet parental control tools also allow you to set time limits and monitor social media interactions.

How can I talk to my child about online safety?

Start by having open conversations about the internet’s benefits and risks. Encourage your kid to share their experiences and feelings. Discuss topics like privacy, cyberbullying, and recognizing inappropriate content in a supportive way.

What should I do if I find my child accessing inappropriate content?

Address the situation calmly and discuss why the content is inappropriate. Use this opportunity to educate your child about safe online behavior.

Are there apps that can help with parental control on the internet?

Yes, there are apps designed for parental control, such as Glassagrm. The application answers the question of how to monitor kids’ Instagram. It allows you to secretly monitor your child’s online activity, see what content he or she subscribes to, who he or she likes, whose stories he or she views, and what he or she is interested in. This allows you to be aware of your child’s interests and take action in time if it’s really necessary. Protect your son or daughter from the temptations and risks of the Internet. And let him or her have only the most positive experience of being in the online space.