This guide is designed to help those who support young people understand how Instagram works, the potential benefits, and the risks to be aware of. You’ll also find resources to help you have informed, supportive conversations.

What is Instagram?

Instagram (13+) is one of the most widely used platforms among children and young people. It’s a visual‑based social media platform that centres on photo and video sharing.

• 67% of those living in the UK aged 18+ use Instagram (Ofcom)
• Despite its age limit (13+), younger children are accessing it, with 16% of those aged 3-5 reported to be using Instagram

Key Features to Know About

• Stories – Posts which disappear in 24 hours
• Close Friends – A list of people that you can share stories and reels with privately
• Reels – Short, fast‑paced video clips, similar to TikTok. Highly engaging and recommended by Instagram’s algorithm
• Filters and effects – Tools enabling users to edit the appearance of their photos and videos
• Feed Posts – Photos, videos, or carousels (a post with multiple photos/videos) that are shared to your main profile
• Direct messages (DM)s & group chats – Private messaging, either one-on-one or in groups, where users can communicate with each other, including sharing posts and sending disappearing photos
• Search and explore page – Acts like a personal discovery platform. Algorithm‑generated recommendations of photos and videos based on interests and behaviour
• Instagram Live – Stream or broadcast live videos from your device

What do young people tend to do on Instagram?

Young people use it for:

• Self‑expression and identity – Young people curate (“perfect” or playful) images, share stories, try filters, and experiment with how they present themselves to others
• Social connection – DMs, group chats, tagging in posts, Stories and Reels help young people stay connected
• Online communities – They follow creators, fandoms, hobbies, causes and peer communities, often where they feel understood or explore interests not reflected offline
• Creativity and inspiration – Reels, music overlays, templates, filters, and editing tools make it easy for young people to be creative and participate in trends
• Exploration and learning – Instagram’s Explore page and recommended content expose young people to the news, new ideas, tutorials, mental health content, activism, lifestyle tips, humour and more

What are the potential risks and challenges?

Instagram’s benefits and risks often exist side‑by‑side. Important areas for professionals to be aware of include:

• Pressure to look or behave a certain way – Filters, comparison culture, and body‑image pressures can impact wellbeing and self‑esteem
• Harmful or upsetting content – This can include self‑harm content, violent content, unrealistic lifestyles, dieting or fitness trends, or misinformation
• Algorithm-driven exposure – Young people may be shown content they didn’t seek out, including self-harm, suicide, and depression content
• Social conflict – Group chats, “seen” indicators, blocking or “close friends” features to make someone feel left out intentionally
• Cyberbullying – DMs, comments, creating fake accounts to impersonate a victim
• Inappropriate contact – Instagram’s DMs, comment culture, and follow requests can result in a high volume of unsolicited sexual messages. In one study, 27% of young people received unwanted sexual messages, often via Instagram DMs, with girls commonly receiving “creepy” or sexualised comments from adult men (ARU)
• High engagement design – Infinite scrolling, push notifications, and algorithmic content recommendations can encourage long screen time sessions, especially at night

Conversation Starters for Adults Working with Young People

You could try these prompts to open up supportive, non‑judgemental conversations:

• “What do you enjoy most about Instagram right now?”
• “What kind of accounts do you like to follow?”
• “Are there any parts you find stressful or annoying?”
• “How do you decide what to post, and who you share it with?”
• “What kinds of content show up on your Explore page?”
• “How do you feel after using Instagram for a while?”
• “Do you know what to do if you see something upsetting?”
• “How do you know when it’s time to stop?”

Find more tips on how to talk to young people about their online lives in our Digital Wellbeing Conversation Starters Toolkit.

Useful Resources

• Instagram Privacy and Safety: A checklist from the UK Safer Internet Centre
• What is Instagram?: Parent’s guide from Internet Matters on how children and young people can use it safely
• Instagram Safety: Safety, privacy, and account security features, including a Parents Guide and Family Centre for supervision tools.
• Know where and how a child or young person can get help and what to do if they see anything that upsets them
  • Online Harms Resource – Useful Websites, Helplines & Reporting.
  • Professionals free Online Safety Helpline – 0344 381 4772