Through My Lens: Instagram and Technological Parenting

This is a sponsored blog post written by Nicky Jackson Colaco, who joined Facebook in 2009 and is Head of Public Policy at Instagram.

Every day, I look at my children through two lenses. The literal lens – I take endless photos of them using Instagram, where I manage public policy – and through a more theoretical lens. What services, apps and devices will they be using in ten years (or, gulp, in two?). At ages two and four, the world of technology that they inhabit is a rich one, with opportunities for sharing, learning and creativity. As both as a parent and as someone who is passionate about tech education and safety, I am keenly aware that the coming years will be filled with new devices and new services – and ones that I can’t yet even imagine.

Right now, I can control my children (sort of; if you saw us during the two hours before bed you’d really question that assertion). But as they grow, I know I will want to be part of their connected lives and try to set appropriate limits. Like many parents, I may feel like I have less control.

Still, through my lens, I see the promise of technology, and how much it will offer my kids. That doesn’t mean that navigating it isn’t hard or time consuming. It is, and I want to help.

Today is Safer Internet Day and we want to do our part by telling you the main things we think you may want to know about Instagram. This isn’t exhaustive, but we think it’s a good checklist, and a good place to start the conversation. You can find out more by going to our Help Center.

What is Instagram? Here are the nuts and bolts:

Instagram is a communication platform – where people use photos and videos to capture and share moments they care about. You take or upload a photo from your phone, and use tools such as filters, cropping, or captions to shape your image. From there, you just share the photo or video with your followers. Keeping up with the newest apps can feel daunting, but it’s simple if you want to try Instagram out for yourself it is available in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

What do I need to know about safety on Instagram? This should help:

You can make your posts private: Instagram has simple privacy controls. When you make your posts private, anyone who wants to see your photos or videos, followers, or following lists will have to send you a request that you can approve or ignore.

Instagram Direct: Recently, we introduced a service called Instagram Direct that allows people  to send a photo or video message to a friend or just a few people. We included a number of protections to make sure that you are only contacted by the people you want and can easily ignore messages. Learn more about Instagram Direct here.

If you see something you don’t like, let us know. We rely on the Instagram community to let us know when they see inappropriate content. Instagrammers can use the report links available near every photo, video and comment on the site. We have a dedicated team that reviews and responds to those reports.

Block people that bother you: If someone who you are not comfortable with is trying to communicate with you, you can even take a more permanent action by blocking them. When people use the blocking feature, the person they block cannot view their posts or search for their Instagram account.

I’m grateful that the Instagram team around me wants to make sure that the community can continue to grow, and at the same time provide a safe and fun experience. I’m also thankful that they patiently put up with all of those photos of my kids (filter, after filter, after beautiful filter.)

Nicky Jackson Colaco joined Facebook in 2009 and is Head of Public Policy at Instagram. She currently works cross-functionally with members of the product, engineering, and operations teams to address safety, privacy, and security issues on Instagram and across the Internet. From 2003 to 2007, Nicky managed international consumer product policy for Google in Mountain View, California and in Hyderabad, India. Prior to joining Google, Nicky spent a year in a fishing village in Hokkaido, Japan teaching English. She is a mom of two, and holds a B.S. in Media and Communications from Northwestern University and Master of International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Shutterstock

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