Your kids might not love these changes, but you will!
Big Changes Are Coming to Facebook—Here’s What You Need to Know
Published on Apr. 11, 2025
Teens and social media are nearly inseparable: A whopping 95% of 13- to 17-year-olds use it, according to a recent U.S. Surgeon General’s report. Of course, not every aspect of this situation is ideal, as you probably know. Yes, there are some concrete benefits, per the Pew Research Center, such as the ability to find like-minded peers and share one’s creativity. But the downsides to this technology are also very real, as mounting evidence points to the harm that social media may cause to teens’ mental health.
“The negative effects of it can be more subtle, such as compounding concerns about social comparison, exclusion/inclusion and teens feeling that they’re on stage in front of a critical or an indifferent audience,” says psychologist Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, author of Kid Confidence: Help Your Child Make Friends, Build Resilience, and Develop Real Self-Esteem. And then there are the less subtle issues, like bullying, privacy issues, inappropriate or harmful content, and online predators, not to mention kids making very public mistakes that could be on the internet forever.
But wait—there’s some good news in this whole social media melee! Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has just introduced a new feature called Teen Accounts, which aims to improve the way kids ages 13 through 17 experience the platform while simultaneously protecting them. But the real question is: Will it help?
Here’s everything you need to know about Teen Accounts, what they offer and whether this Facebook hack is the cure for what’s ailing teens on the internet.
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How do Teen Accounts differ from regular Facebook accounts?
The new Teen Accounts for both Facebook and Messenger require parental permission to sign up on the platform, as well as some smart restrictions and time limits. Here’s more on each element:
- Built-in privacy: If you’re a teen, your Facebook page will automatically be designated a Teen Account with private settings, which means just a select group of people can view its content and profile info.
- Limited contacts: Only chosen friends and family who are already connected to the Teen Account will be able to view photos and stories, add tags and make comments. (Read: No randos allowed.)
- Better message settings: Messaging is also stricter now—teens can only send and receive messages from people they’ve contacted in the past or those they already follow.
- Hidden content: Images and articles that aren’t age-appropriate will be limited and/or blurred.
- Quiet time: We all know teens need more shut-eye, which is why this feature now prompts them to log off of Facebook after an hour each day and the site goes into quiet mode automatically at night. Kennedy-Moore says concerns around lost sleep, along with skipped homework and fewer in-person connections, are among the more common issues she sees in her practice.
Will this change also apply to Instagram?
Yes! In fact, this already applies to Instagram. Last September, Meta rolled out Instagram Teen Accounts with similar restrictions that shield young people from sensitive content and unwanted contacts. And additional Insta protection is coming in a few months; it will include limiting Instagram Live (parental permission is required) and obscuring images that may show nudity.
What prompted this change?
Health organizations and governmental policy groups have been clear about the potential detrimental effects social media use can have on teens. In addition to the Surgeon General’s report, the American Psychological Association put out a statement in 2024 underscoring the risks that teens face when online.
And parents have been just as vocal about their concerns. The Pew Research Center found that nearly half (46%) are very worried teens could encounter explicit content on the web. Meta’s own research notes that many parents find it hard to even broach the topic of social media.
Fortunately, the changes put in place are already yielding good results: 54 million teens now use designated Instagram accounts, and 97% of teens ages 13 to 15 keep the built-in restrictions in place. Of course, only time will tell how this goes with Facebook’s Teen Accounts, but Instagram is likely a good predictor.
What have parents been saying about this?
Meta created these Teen Accounts to address social media concerns from parents, and the company has been measuring responses to the rollout. In a recent survey, a whopping 94% of U.S. parents say Teen Accounts on Instagram are helpful, and more than 90% feel the new safety features support their teens.
But changes like these from Meta won’t fix every online ill. “Teen social media accounts are a step toward limiting their exposure to sexual or other inappropriate content or contact, but parents should not assume that they make social media ‘safe’ for teens,” warns Kennedy-Moore. To that end, while parents are happy about these guardrails, some are also skeptical. One Redditor said, “They’ll bypass the restrictions in about five seconds.” Hopefully not, but let’s be realistic here—most teens are a lot more tech savvy than their parents.
That’s why it’s still up to you to keep a watchful eye over your teens and their social media use. One of the best things you can do? Be firm on phones, iPads and laptops in the bedroom at night. “Nothing good happens in the middle of the night on their devices!” says Kennedy-Moore. And focus on conversations. “Tell your kids that if they make a mistake online or they encounter anything upsetting, they can always come to you, and will never be in trouble—you will help them figure it out,” she adds.
What’s the process for signing up?
It’s easy to sign up if both the teen and the parent have the latest Facebook app and the Teen Accounts option is available in your location. (It’s now in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and Canada.) To set it up, parents can go to Familycenter.Facebook.com/dashboard and click on “Create invite.” Review the info on the screen, click “Next,” and then click the invite to copy and paste it into the app to share with your teen.
If your teen already has an account, this protective status will automatically kick in—yes, even if their profile was public previously. And again, all of this applies to kids ages 13 through 17. Children under 13 aren’t allowed to sign up for a Facebook account, though they can get Messenger Kids through their parents’ accounts.
What happens when your child turns 18? The protective features will disappear and the account will be automatically converted into a standard adult account. How’s that for making life a little easier for busy parents!
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Sources:
- Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, psychologist and author of Kid Confidence: Help Your Child Make Friends, Build Resilience, and Develop Real Self-Esteem; email interview April 9, 2025
- TechCrunch: “Meta introduces restricted Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger”
- Meta: “We’re introducing new built-In restrictions for Instagram Teen Accounts, and expanding to Facebook and Messenger”
- National Library of Medicine: “Social media and youth mental health”
- Pew Research Center: “Teen and social media: Key findings from Pew Research Center surveys
- American Psychological Association: “Health advisory on social media use in adolescence”
- Facebook: “Set up supervision on Facebook”
