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Instagram will soon notify parents if their teenage child repeatedly searches for content linked to suicide or self-harm, the company announced, in its latest move to address growing concerns over teen mental health online.
The alerts will apply to families who have turned on parental controls for a teen account. If Instagram’s system detects a pattern of worrying searches, parents will get a message, either by text or email, depending on how they set it up.
Along with the alert, parents will receive simple guidance created with health experts, including advice on how to talk to their child about what they may be going through. The app will also provide contact information for support services and emergency help lines.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, said the feature will launch next week in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, with other countries to follow.
The company admitted the system may not always get it perfectly right.
“There may be times when we notify parents and there isn’t a serious risk,” Meta said, but added that experts believe it is better to speak up early rather than stay silent.
The move comes as social media platforms face intense scrutiny over how their apps affect young users.
A lawsuit currently being heard in Los Angeles accuses Instagram and YouTube of contributing to a young woman’s depression, anxiety and body image struggles.
The woman, identified in court documents as “Kaylee J.M.,” says she started using Instagram at 9 years old and YouTube at 6. Her legal team claims the companies focused on keeping children hooked to boost profits, even though they knew social media could harm mental health.
Both companies deny the claims and say the evidence does not prove their platforms caused her condition.
In recent years, tech companies have added more tools for parents and tighter rules around sensitive content. Still, the debate continues over how much responsibility social media giants should carry, and how best to keep teenagers safe in a digital world that rarely switches off.
