August 21, 2025
Parenting Advices

Before You Let Them on Instagram…Read This First

Instagram is where many kids want to be—scrolling through reels, sharing stories, and watching their favourite influencers. But for Indian parents, the decision to let children enter the world of social media, especially Instagram, comes with real concerns: exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, unrealistic beauty standards, and addictive scrolling habits. And the numbers show it’s not just paranoia—it’s a genuine parenting challenge.

India’s Instagram Generation: What’s at Stake

According to a 2023 report by Statista, India has the largest number of Instagram users in the world, with over 362 million users. While the platform technically restricts users below the age of 13, children as young as 10 have been found using it through fake birth dates or shared accounts.

A 2022 LocalCircles survey revealed that 37% of Indian children aged 9 to 13 were on social media platforms despite age restrictions. Of them, Instagram was the most popular. That’s not just bending the rules—it’s a silent crisis in digital parenting.

The Hidden Curriculum of Instagram

Instagram doesn’t just connect—it teaches. Kids learn what’s “trending,” what gets likes, what’s considered beautiful, and what “success” looks like. But here’s the trap: these lessons are often toxic.

A global internal study by Meta (formerly Facebook) leaked in 2021 found that 1 in 3 teenage girls said Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies. While the study focused on Western countries, Indian adolescents are not immune. A 2022 study by AIIMS Delhi found that social media use among Indian teenagers significantly contributes to body dissatisfaction and sleep disturbances.

What Every Indian Parent Should Watch Out For

  1. Unrealistic Standards: Instagram filters and curated lives can create toxic comparisons.
  2. Cyberbullying: According to a 2021 Microsoft study, India ranked among the top 5 countries for online bullying.
  3. Addiction: The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) has reported an increase in screen-time-related behavioral issues, with Instagram being a top culprit.
  4. Stranger Danger: Many kids follow and are followed by strangers, opening doors to grooming or online exploitation.

So, When Is the Right Time?

There’s no “perfect” age, but developmental readiness matters. If your child:

  • Understands privacy and can manage personal information,
  • Knows how to handle peer pressure,
  • Can talk to you about uncomfortable online situations,

…they might be ready with strong supervision.

What You Can Do Instead of Saying Just ‘No’

  1. Start the Conversation Early: Don’t wait till they ask for an account. Begin by asking what they know about Instagram and what they want to use it for.
  2. Co-View Their Feed: If you allow access, start with a shared account. Scroll together. Ask, “How does this post make you feel?” or “Would you post something like this?”
  3. Set Digital Boundaries: No phones at dinner, no scrolling before bed, and a daily screen time limit.
  4. Use Parental Tools: Instagram now offers supervision tools where you can monitor time spent and set notifications. Explore these actively.
  5. Teach Content Creation vs. Consumption: Encourage them to create (art, photography, reels with a purpose) rather than just scroll.
  6. Celebrate Realness: Point out authentic creators and accounts promoting mental health, sustainability, or creativity and not just beauty and bling.

India Needs a New Kind of Instagram Parent

We can’t raise our kids like we’re still in the 90s. Social media is part of their lives—whether we like it or not. But letting them in blindly is not the answer. Supervised, mindful, and open conversations about Instagram can transform it from a threat into a learning space.

Let’s not ban the app, let’s build the guardrails.

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