Stories is Here to Stay
Not long ago instagram added a new feature that looked strangely similar to Snapchat’s “stories.” In fact it wasn’t just similar, it was the same thing. They even used the same name for the feature. After about two days of people calling Facebook (who runs instagram now) a bunch of copycats, users were posting multiple stories a day to their instagram accounts and loving it. Funny how we adopt things so quickly after being so “put off” by them.
Well, with an update to intagram this week, the focus on stories has been increased. The new update brings boomerang, (a service where you make mini video loops) mentions or tags, and links for “verified” accounts to the stories feature. So you can now make a mini video, tag your friends in your story post, and if your account is verified (only available to celebrities and brands) you can post links to your latest content.
What does this mean for parents?
It’s quite simple, really. Stories cashes in on the concept that young people want to post something that is seemingly temporary. The posts in your account’s story only last for twenty four hours. This keeps updates fresh and keeps users coming back to post more and more content. It also causes young persons to feel like they aren’t posting something permanent. We all know this isn’t true. Anything posted online is there to stay.
Along with a false sense of security, stories is now yet another way for brands and celebrities to alert your kids that they have some sort of message for them. You know that we at BecauseFamily advocate for parents to be the first influence in their children’s lives. It can be difficult to be the first influence when other influences are notifying your child every time they have something new to show them. This update gives the ability to notify your kids with a link to take them out of the app to some other content elsewhere on the internet.
Don’t Uninstall but Have a Conversation
While I don’t recommend instagram for kids under 16, I know many parents have children who use the service. My advice is to talk to them about this update and let them know that they maybe shouldn’t click on links in instagram when they aren’t sure where they’ll lead. Remember to have your accountability software (Like Accountable2You) installed so that if they end up somewhere inappropriate you will know about it and can have a conversation. Just be smart and encourage them to be smart. It’s important for parents to stay as ahead of the social media game as they can.