Is Threads App Safe for Kids? All You Need to Know

In a wave of surprising events, Meta has released a rival to one of the biggest social media platforms since its release. They have released the Threads app to introduce some competition to Elon Musk’s Twitter app. The app is bigger and better than Twitter. With its release, the Threads app has created concerns about children’s safety; therefore, parents and guardians are wondering: is the Threads app safe for kids?

Here is all you need to know about Threads’ safety so parents can decide whether to let their children use the platform.

What is Instagram’s Threads App?

The Threads is a new app from Instagram that aims to provide users with a platform for text-based conversations. Users can post short text messages and attach links, images, and videos of up to 5 minutes in length to their posts.

Threads app is an alternative to the Twitter app based on text-based discussions. You can join the app using your Instagram account because the app is integrated with the Instagram app. It will use your Instagram username to log in. Once you log in, you can customize your profile easily, meaning everyone can join this microblogging app.

Is Threads App Safe for Kids?

As with the release of the new Threads app, parents and guardians ask whether its use will be safe for their kids. The app has identical terms and conditions to Instagram, which states that users should be at least 13 years old to create an account on Instagram.

This age limit can differ for different countries as each county is jurisdiction; therefore, the eligible age may exceed 13.

Users under 13 can join the Threads app but with some exceptions. The child’s parent, guardian, or manager should manifest in the bio that they are handling their child’s account.

This way, users under 13 can use Threads and Instagram, as the terms and conditions are the same. However, parents and guardians must monitor their children’s online activities to ensure safety. Also, check the Twitter VS Threads.

People worrying that children will be exposed to unethical and vulgar content can sigh relief because the Instagram-integrated Threads app is very strict on NSFW (Not safe for work) content. According to the privacy policy, accounts registered to users under 13 will automatically be set to private.

What Types of Content or Threats Can Children Be Exposed to When Using Threads App?

It is better to be in safe hands than sorry. Even though the Threads app has some terms and conditions, some risks come along with the app for users of all ages, especially children.

Your child can face the following risks or unethical content when using the Threads App.

Harassment and Cyberbullying:

Harassment and Cyberbullying is one of the prevalent problems when using social media apps like Threads. As users can easily interact with others using this platform, you or your child can receive threats, sexual harassment messages, cyberbullying, and hate speech from others.

Seeing NSFW or Inappropriate Content:

Though Meta is stricter regarding NSFW content, there are still chances that your child can see this kind of post on the Threads app. Aside from NSFW content, some posts can threaten your child through harmful words or misinformation. Therefore, monitoring your child’s online activities is wise, especially if they use apps like Threads.

Safety Measures and Parental Control on Threads App

So, does the Threads app have any safety measures or parental control in place? Yes! The app has the same parental control as that of Instagram. Like Instagram, the app has a “Supervision” feature that lets parents monitor and control their children’s interaction on the app and screen time.

To enable this feature,

• Go into your own Threads account’s settings
• Invite your child to connect with your account
• When they accept your invitation, set a time they can get to scroll through posts
• Whoever sends them follow requests, you will be immediately notified.

Threads app has another feature called “Take a Break” to monitor screen time for your children. It is a self-monitoring feature that prevents users from spending too much time scrolling the screen. The feature is great for adults; however, after enabling ‘Threads Supervision,’ you no longer need this feature on your child’s account.

Moreover, keeping a friendly environment with your children about privacy issues and internet safety is wise before inspecting their Threads activities.

Alternatives for Additional Safety Measures

Like all other social media apps, Threads doesn’t verify a user’s age, which means your child can enter any age to sign up for the Threads app and may fall victim to cyberbullying. Therefore, monitor your child’s activities on this platform, but how is that possible? With Safes!

Safes is a parental control app helping parents to keep an eye on their children and protect them against online threats. The app is compatible with all devices across platforms like Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. Thus, use this Safes app instead of Instagram’s and Threads’ supervision feature because the app can monitor your child’s activities on social media and set screen time limits simultaneously. Once you set time limits, you do not need to visit the settings of each app your child uses.

There are many other parental control applications too that you can use to monitor your child’s activities on Threads.

Final Verdict

If you are looking for an answer to the question ‘Is the Threads app safe for kids?’ Instagram’s Threads app is safe for your children as long as they follow social media protocol, including making their accounts private and limiting their interaction to the people they know in the real world. If your child is over 13, you can let him use the Threads by setting the parental control app and privacy settings. With their maturity, you can take off some of your settings and let them fully control their account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you join the Threads app without having an Instagram account?

No! You must join Threads with an Instagram account because the app is integrated with Instagram.

Can I make my Threads account private?

You can set your Threads account as private. There are no ‘feeds’ where you can see only Threads from people you follow.

Yes! You can set your Threads account to private. There are no ‘feeds’ where you can view Threads only from specific people.

Is the Threads app safe?

As for apps considered safe for children to share content and communicate, the Threads app is probably the best-preserved app for teenagers who can handle social media responsibly.