CALIFORNIA (Kashmir English): Meta is revamping the teen strategy for Instagram as the company ramps up efforts to regain the interest of younger users, who are registering fewer subscriptions and participating less actively, especially in more affluent regions where the competition from TikTok and YouTube is most prominent.
As reported in recent coverage, from internal documents, it has surfaced that teen strategy has topped Meta’s list of priorities, with guidance given to teams to fine-tune content ranking algorithms, update teen-oriented product pages, and enhance creator collaborations to ensure that Instagram does not come across as mundane.
However, this comes as Meta is increasingly faced with legal and governmental pressures.
Over 40 U.S. state governments have filed lawsuits against Meta regarding its platforms being harmful to young users.
Also, new youth safety laws are being passed by lawmakers, such as a new law from New York requiring mental health warnings on platforms that use algorithmic ranking, autoplay, or infinite scroll.
Safety precautions have been stressed by Meta as part of its teen policy on Instagram, such as settings for “teen accounts” that restrict direct messaging and access to sensitive content, and enhance privacy.
It has also strengthened enforcement of its policy against harmful activities against minors.
Still, the dual challenge of relevance and regulation looms over Instagram. While surveys show Instagram remains widely used by teens, competition is intense and fragmented.
Internal assessments suggest Meta believes it can outperform rivals by improving real-time interaction and social features, but acknowledges that teens often view Instagram as socially pressuring and overly performative.
Analysts say the result of how Meta addresses its Instagram teen strategy could shape the platform’s future.
If the company can’t boost engagement while proving safeguards work, it could invite stricter regulations, reduced personalization, or mandatory age verification—putting product control into the hands of the courts and regulators.
