Digital environment
What is Digital environment ?
Apps and environments young people use
Type of digital environment:
- Algorithmic recommendations
- Social media
- Private chat
Age restriction: 13
Instagram is a social media platform where users can share photos, videos and messages.
Risks and motivations
Risks
Young people who use Instagram may be exposed to digital risk factors like:
- sharing of extreme content
- radicalisation or algorithmic radicalisation
- money muling
- livestreaming
- sock puppet accounts
- drug and gang culture
- nude sharing
- cyberflashing
- dangerous challenges
Young people using Instagram may also experience extremism.
Motivations
Young people might use Instagram to:
- build relationships and networks
- build confidence
- develop skills
- make money
Young people’s voice
How young people engage with the environment
It’s our generation, you’ll just do that [automatically post a picture of anything you’re doing]. Your first thought is basically social media. If I pick up my phone and open it up, I’ll go on Snapchat and Instagram straight away.
Pathways: How digital design puts children at risk, 5Rights Foundation, 2021
What you can do
How to report content in this environment
How to close an account in this environment
Share your experience of Instagram
You can tell us about:
- other terms you might have heard
- conversations you’ve had with young people
- a related platform or app
- another related risk or harm