What Is the ‘Grid Zero’ Trend?
What? Many members of Gen Z are embracing the “Grid Zero” trend on Instagram, which involves deleting or archiving previous posts so that they don’t show up on their profile.
So What? Some folks say they don’t care enough about social media to post. Others say it’s a new type of aesthetic. But most have cited privacy concerns as the reason for adopting “Grid Zero.”
Now What? If privacy is a concern, then the fewer photos your child posts online, the better. However, this doesn’t mean your teen isn’t posting at all. NPR reports that Instagram’s DMs (direct messages) and Stories (“temporary posts that show up prominently in the app”) have risen in popularity. So parents should still encourage safe internet practices, especially since even a “temporary” post or message can be recorded or screenshot by those with ill intentions.
How Will Instagram’s ‘Close Friends’ Combat Harassment?
What? In an effort to reduce bullying and other forms of online harassment, Meta has introduced a new feature in Instagram that allows teens to limit interactions with people outside their “Close Friends” (a list that restricts who can see posts, notes, reels or stories).
So What? This and other child-safety features come in response to criticism that Meta created an addictive app that prioritizes profits over minors’ mental health, for which it was sued last October by a “bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general” and is now also being investigated by the European Union.
Now What? Although Meta’s new tools are certainly a breath of fresh air, parents and teens shouldn’t lower their guard. Instagram is far from perfect and still has a long way to go before it will truly be “safe” for adolescents. But for now, parents and teens should utilize these new features and discuss ways to handle abusive behavior online.
What Are YouTube ‘Playables’?
What? YouTube is officially rolling out “Playables,” a collection of more than 75 free games folks can enjoy on the website or app.
So What? Although 38% of teens admit to spending too much time on their phones already, Pew Research says the majority haven’t tried to cut back their usage. And the addition of gaming to an app that’s already popular among teens (9 in 10 teenagers use YouTube regularly) may make those statistics even worse.
Now What? About 4 in 10 teens and parents say screen-time disagreements lead to arguments. But if Playables causes your kids to spend even more time on their phones, it doesn’t have to end in tears. Consider playing some of the new games with your kids. It may help you to better understand where they’re coming from and even bond over the games you both like. And that can help you to set realistic and healthy boundaries that your teen may be more inclined to follow.
3 Responses
Good article.
I am not a parent, but I don’t think making apps safer is a real solution. This “close friends” precaution is a joke. The major issue is how much time is being spent with apps and phones. I have family members who are 55+ years old, but they post too much, scroll too much, and concern themselves with portraying a certain image on social media. No wonder this an issue with many teenagers – they’re probably learning from the adults in their lives.
This is part of why I installed FB Purity on my Facebook (it doesn’t just cut away a lot of unwanted content, but also refuses to load more than something like fifty posts at once, so it removes the infinite scroll).