Instagram to alert parents when teens search for suicide

Instagram will soon notify parents of teens who search for suicide or self-harm content on its platform, company officials announced Thursday.

Repeated searches for terms linked to suicide or self-harm over a short duration will trigger the parental alert. The feature is only available through Instagram's parental supervision tool. That is separate from, but can be combined with, a Teen Account, which is designated for youth between the ages of 13 and 17.

Though Instagram attempts to block such search results and direct teens to helplines, it has never notified parents about their children's activity. Parents will receive the alert via an app notification and a separate email, text, or WhatsApp message, depending on the contact information they provided.

Parents will also be able to view expert-designed content to talk to their teen about suicidal feelings, if they so choose. In cases of imminent physical harm, Instagram will notify emergency services, a long-standing policy.

Teen Account users and their parents will start receiving information about the program next week, with official alerts beginning in early March. The feature will roll out to the U.S., United Kingdom, and Canada first. Instagram's announcement also acknowledged that Instagram's parent company, Meta, is developing similar parental alerts for certain AI experiences.

Last week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified at a trial focused on the allegedly dangerous defects and addictive nature of social media platforms. Meta has also been sued by parents of Instagram teen users who died by suicide after being sextorted on the platform.

Dr. John Ackerman, an expert on youth suicide prevention who was not involved in Instagram's alert feature, told Mashable that it appeared to be carefully considered. Instagram said it relied on feedback from a group of experts it assembled on suicide and self-harm. (Instagram does not publicize the members of its advisory group.)

"I like that they're expanding protections. I like that they're letting parents know," said Ackerman, clinical manager for the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Still, Ackerman said he was interested in learning more about the search terms that can trigger an alert, and whether the list accounts for common words and phrases teens use to avoid algorithmic detection of suicide discussion.

Instagram said that phrases showing an intent or desire to harm one's self, along with terms that promote or glorify suicide and self-harm, would trigger an alert.

Ackerman also noted that the feature could amount to "lip service" if notifications are inaccessible, difficult to navigate, or don't lead to "actionable change."

What to do if you get or trigger an Instagram alert

For parents who receive an alert, Ackerman recommended remaining calm and acknowledging that it may be difficult to hear, especially if the notification is unexpected. Ackerman added that parents don't need to try to fix everything in the moment. Instead, they should focus on being present for their teen and determining next steps while making their support clear. (Ackerman suggests these tips for talking about suicide from The Kids Mental Health Foundation.)

Teens whose searches trigger an alert might feel frustrated, Ackerman said. While that's a normal emotion in the circumstances, Ackerman encourages a teen feeling that way to focus on getting help. If their parent is unsupportive or doesn't follow up on an alert, Ackerman urges them to seek help from a trusted adult, like a teacher or coach.

This is the message Ackerman shares with youth during outreach at schools and elsewhere.

"[W]e let them know that it's okay if the first adult you reach out to isn't as supportive as you would have hoped," Ackerman said. "You continue to be persistent ... there are definitely supportive adults out there."

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.