Meta is Blocking Sensitive Content from Student’s Social Media Feeds: Here is what educators need to know
Content warning: This article contains content that may be sensitive to students. Please review the content of this post before sharing it with your students.
Be sure to check out the suggested Huddle question at the bottom of this article to discuss this important topic with your students in class, if you feel it is appropriate.
The recent announcement by Meta regarding the removal of sensitive and “age-inappropriate” content from students’ feeds, such as self-harm, violence, explicit images, and more, has sparked an important conversation about the impact of social media on student well-being.
Meta’s removal of sensitive content is a great step in the right direction for tech companies. With 56% of 11-16-year-olds having seen explicit material online, it’s important that educators equip students to handle the pressure of navigating inappropriate content. By doing this, students will have the tools and skills to handle the pressure when they come across sensitive content online, which can cause stress and anxiety in social media users under 18. Let’s dive in.
Meta’s New Restrictions: Why they’re there and what they look like
Meta’s decision to restrict certain content for students under 18 addresses concerns about exposure to sensitive topics such as self-harm, eating disorders, and mental health issues. This move to block certain content stemmed as a result of a lawsuit against Meta in 2022 for Instagram’s artificial intelligence engine recommending posts that glorified anorexia and self-harm to a young student’s explore feed. The company had previously received backlash for something similar in 2021, where “Facebook Papers” were released, revealing that Meta was aware of the connection between Instagram and teen girls’ mental health.
As a result of the criticism, Meta is taking action to restrict potentially harmful content from young students’ feeds. Meta previously implemented a parental supervision tool in 2022 that allowed parents to limit their children’s exposure to potentially harmful content. However, students had to “opt-in” to this feature, meaning they had to permit their parents to put privacy protections on their account, and very few students allowed this.
This new restriction in January of 2024 will automatically place all students under 18 on Instagram and Facebook into the most restrictive content control settings. These settings will prevent sensitive content, such as content about self-harm, from reaching students’ reels or main feed, even if they follow an account that posts that type of content. Instagram and Facebook will also stop recommending any posts to teens that contain age-inappropriate content through the platform’s algorithm and will have mental health resources pop up if students are seeking self-harm content.
Source: Meta
Why should educators care about what students see online?
While it’s great to see that Meta is taking steps to protect student well-being by restricting age-inappropriate content from students’ feeds, we cannot solely rely on Meta to protect students from distressing content. Social media algorithms are smart, but they may not be able to hide every inappropriate post, which doesn’t stop students from seeking that content out.
In 2022, researchers from the Network Contagion Research Institute and Rutgers University found that posts involving self-harm increased by almost 500% on X (formerly Twitter), making avoiding this content so much harder for students. Students who are already vulnerable to depression and anxiety may find posts involving self-harm especially disturbing and, in serious cases, may be influenced to participate in self-harm trends they see online. Excessive exposure to inappropriate content, especially content that involves violence, self-harm, and suicide, can harm students’ well-being. When students’ well-being isn’t supported, they may experience stress and anxiety that inhibits their ability to engage in classes as well as face other serious challenges.
According to a 2022 YouthTruth student survey, 50% of students at every high school grade level cited depression, stress, and anxiety as obstacles to learning. As educators, supporting student well-being is essential to guiding students to academic success. The best way educators can do this? Equipping students with the skills to handle the pressure of the content they see online.
How educators can empower students to handle the pressure of what they see online
Understanding the potential impact of social media on students’ well-being requires a careful analysis. While Meta’s latest measures aim to create a safer online space for teens, it’s important for educators to acknowledge that these changes are just one piece of a complex puzzle.
Social media is constantly evolving between new posts, features, and restrictions like those we’re seeing from Meta. However, these changes can present new challenges students must hurdle, like handling the pressure of seeing distressing content online. Here are some ways that educators can equip students to handle the pressure that comes with being online and support student well-being:
- Encourage students to turn on restrictions that block sensitive content: Whether it be Instagram, Facebook, or any other social media platform, these restrictions help limit the amount of potentially distressing content on social media. Students can even take this further and unfollow anyone posting inappropriate or distressing content.
- Highlight the importance of occasionally taking a step back from social media: While social media can be a great place for entertainment, connecting with friends, and learning more about the world, sometimes we all need a break. Taking a step back from social media, especially if a student got caught up in doom scrolling, can help reduce stress and make it easier to handle the pressure of what we see online.
- Remind students to block accounts or flag inappropriate or harmful posts: Although companies like Meta are removing sensitive content before they make it to our feed, they likely won’t catch everything. Reporting posts that cause us stress and discomfort makes social media a better place for everyone and can lower the likelihood of similar posts popping up on our feeds in the future.
Empowering students with the tools to handle the pressure of online interactions is essential in supporting student well-being. By integrating class lessons that focus on self-awareness, empathy, and responsible online behavior, educators can better support their students as they navigate their online worlds. Through #WinAtSocial, you can empower your students to handle the pressure of the content they see on social media, test-taking, and so much more. Want to try out a lesson in your classroom? Request a demo today!
#WinAtSocial Huddle Question
Huddle with your students
We often see tons of posts on social media that make us happy or laugh. From family photos to memes, the internet has a lot to offer. However, sometimes, we might fall upon something that makes us uncomfortable or distressed. When this happens, what do you do? Do you log off social media? Report the post? Keep scrolling? What advice do you have for other students regarding navigating sensitive content online?
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.