LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – New Facebook and Instagram guidelines set daily time limits for teens, restrict app access from midnight to 6 a.m. and limit push notifications during school hours. The changes follow a $17.1 billion settlement with Meta.
Brylin Thomas, a 19-year-old from Lincoln, called the changes a relief.
“I think life would be a lot less stressful and I would be able to actually enjoy my teen years without having to worry about who’s seeing me right now, if somebody’s taking a picture of me, if somebody’s posting it,” Thomas said.
Throughout high school, Thomas saw the negative impact social media could have on young kids.
“I was a part of an Instagram post where people were bullying and were making fun of students in the school which ultimately led me to have to get professional mental health help,” Thomas said.
Mother already enforcing similar limits
Jillian Schernikau, a Lincoln mother of four, said she is already enforcing many of the restrictions included in the new guidelines.
“Just this year, my daughter turned 15. So she got Instagram and she gets 30 minutes a day on it. We’re no Snapchat and no TikTok,” Schernikau said.
Both Thomas and Schernikau said social media can have a significant impact on mental health.
“My kids know it negatively impacts their mental health. I think it also robs them from the chance to find wonder and joy when they’re living,” Schernikau said.
Kids may not understand restrictions
Thomas and Schernikau said it can be difficult for kids to understand why the restrictions are in their best interest.
“I mean, I’m young. I’m a kid. I want to experience the things I’m not supposed to,” Thomas said.
Thomas said she understands the frustration from teens. Watching her younger sister, a freshman in high school, navigate social media, she said she believes the added restrictions are a good thing.
“So having more regulations with social media, like it protects her in a way I can’t protect her, you know,” Thomas said.
Thomas and Schernikau said they hope the settlement is the start of an ongoing effort to protect kids on social media.
“Getting help does not make you weak. You are so brave. And if you’re going through something similar like this, you’re not alone. And I promise there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Thomas said.
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