Before the new controls can kick in, the child first has to opt in – and then the parent follows suit. If both agree, parents can set time limits, see who their children follow (or are followed by), and track how much time minors spend on Instagram, for example. However, it does not let parents see any content. Melissa Henson, vice president of programs at Parents Television Council, says it's not enough.
“It is pretty weak sauce,” she states, “and it's not going to be adequate, I think, to address concerns that parents have about their kids being on social media.”
Meta will also communicate directly to teens, encouraging them to let their parents "supervise" their account, for example, if they block someone. The company explains it is trying to “balance teen safety and autonomy.” Henson’s response to that?
“We don't need to give more agency to kids,” she tells AFN. “We need to make sure that the parents in the room are able to be parents; that they're able to set appropriate boundaries.”
The PTC spokeswoman says Meta isn’t being altruistic – in fact, there is a bipartisan effort on Capitol Hill to regulate Big Social.
“To me, it just seems like [Meta and the other social platforms are] trying to stave off government regulation,” she offers. “I think the writing is on the wall - and they're hoping that if they do something now, they can forestall any kind of legislative intervention.”
Her advice to parents: “... Delay, delay, delay as long as possible – both in getting your child a smartphone or smart device, and also when you allow them to start using social media. Put it off for as long as possible.”
