Beginning next week, Instagram is rolling out new safety tools on the social media platform. State officials are encouraging parents to take advantage of the new safety features aimed at protecting teens.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost says parents who use Instagram’s supervision tools will receive alerts if their child repeatedly searches for content related to suicide or self-harm in a short period of time. The feature is designed to flag potentially concerning behavior and give families a chance to step in early.
“Parents can’t possibly know everything their kids are doing,” Yost said, calling the tool a way to shine a light on warning signs that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Instagram already blocks certain harmful searches and directs users to crisis resources. This new alert system adds another layer by notifying parents directly.
Families can set up supervision in the app’s settings under “Supervision” or visit Instagram’s Help Center for more information.
Anyone in crisis can call or text 988 for immediate support 24/7.
