Meta just announced that they are releasing new tools for parents and teens on both the VR platform and Instagram. They’re hoping these tools will be able to help teens manage their time on these platforms better, and parents can have more control and knowledge regarding these platforms to protect their children.
The first tool being released is parental supervision for all Quest VR Headsets. From this control dashboard, parents will be able to approve downloads and purchases, block inappropriate apps, view all installed apps, monitor how much time is spent on VR, view Oculus friends, and block Link and AirLink apps.
Alongside these parental control features, Meta will also be launching a Parent Education Hub that includes guides to using the various tools and resources on how to discuss the responsible use of VR and social media with your teen.
Regarding Instagram, parental control tools will enable parents to set times when their teen cannot use Instagram, see when and why their teen reports other accounts or posts, and more. Instagram is also launching a ‘Take a Break’ feature, which, once enabled, will remind users and specifically teens to take a break from social media after a certain time spent on the app. These tools are being added to the current set of parental controls already available for Instagram.
These tools are all measures Meta is taking to help parents keep their teens safe and responsible while using VR and social media platforms like Instagram. With how dangerous social media can be, with fake accounts, cyberbullying, and account hacking scams, everyone should take extra steps to keep themselves and their children safe. We look forward to seeing the future improvements Meta makes to these tools.
