Instagram is apparently working on launching a safe version of its app that will be suitable for children under the age of 13. This move is similar to the specially tailored version of Facebook that was made for kids.

According to a BuzzFeedNews report (Via PocketNow), the social media platform recently made changes to its safety features, which allowed parents to ensure that their children have a healthy and safe experience, which also stated that kids under the age of 13 should not be allowed from signing up from Instagram. As per an internal note from VP of Products, Vishal Shah, a version of the popular application is arriving from kids aged 13 or lower, and is currently under development.

Furthermore, the company’s chief Adam Mosseri also confirmed the news in a recent interview. He further added that its a difficult task to identify a persons age, especially considering users usually don’t get proper identification till the reach late teens. The parent company of Instagram already has a product targeted towards young individuals, dubbed Messenger Kids, which might be server as a basis for ‘kid’ version of the popular social media platform.

The note reads “We will be building a new youth pillar within the Community Product Group to focus on two things: (a) accelerating our integrity and privacy work to ensure the safest possible experience for teens and (b) building a version of Instagram that allows people under the age of 13 to safely use Instagram for the first time.” So stay tuned for more, as we will be providing updates when additional updates are available.

RELATED:

• Facebook announces a new Instagram Lite app with less features and a ~2MB size
• Instagram expands shopping service support to IGTV and Reels
• US may obstruct Facebook from unifying WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger

The post Instagram to soon arrive in a safe version for children below the age of 13 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Smartphones have become a very important part of our lives, helping us in almost every activity. We always carry around our phone wherever we go, may it be our office, parties or even when we are going to sleep. With smartphones becoming smarter and bringing in more functions, we are increasingly hooked to our devices, which means we spend less time with the people we care about.

Even at the dinner table, smartphones are a common sight giving us less time to connect. So, Dolmio decided to do an experiment to show how children are often hooked on phones at the dinner table to notice changes around them. Of course, this experiment is actually an advert to promote its “PEPPER HACKER” gadget which blocks Wi-Fi, but it still manages to show how young kids are addicted to gadgets at home.

In the experiment, first, they changed some of the things in the house, like replacing a family portrait. But it wasn’t good enough to get the attention of the kids. Later, the parents and siblings in the experiment were replaced by strangers and it still wasn’t enough, for the kids to notice. Only when the Wi-Fi was turned off did the kids notice the many changes around them! It’s an interesting experiment and shows how addicted we are getting to smartphones these days to care about the things around us.

Do check out the video below to watch the entire experiment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN04OO67_do

The post Hooked on Phone: Children Don’t Notice When Their Parents Are Replaced With Strangers (VIDEO) appeared first on Gizmochina.

There are several considerations for parents before providing any mobile devices that are suitable for children. The safety factor is one of them. Did you know that the Android operating system turned out to be safer for children than iOS? Yes, Android is considered to give more flexibility for parents to control and monitor access to their children.

What are the advantages of Android than iOS? Here it is:

1. Regulate what can and can not
Young age children have not been able to find any content that is accessible or not. This is where the role of parents is needed. In there is a parental control application, where since last year, Apple allows users to block access to a number of applications. However, there remains the possibility that application erased. Users also can not restrict applications to video and music.

While in the Android user can control even further with the help of additional applications. The operating system is more flexible for developers to add other applications for child safety. For example, Family Guardian application that can hide some applications you do not want to know the children. This application can also block certain content that is deemed not appropriate for children. Things like this can not be done on the iPhone and iPad.

2. Designed for children and parents
Techno Source has recently released Android tablet for children aged 5 years and over, Kurio 7. These tablets look the same as Samsung or HTC Android tablet, just adapted to the needs of children. In this specific product applications presented for children, with a restriction site in the browser. Profile can be tailored to the child’s age. There are also already released Amazon, Kindle FreeTime for Kindle Fire HD tablets tablets that are designed specifically for children. Android developers are very mean think about how these tools can be comfortable for both children and adults.

3. More economical
Outside the two advantages above, there is another plus for parents on Android, that is, from an economic standpoint. Many Android smartphone or tablet at a price much more affordable than iOS based. As we know, children are often being careless on electronic devices. Would love it if given the high-priced. Well, now a lot of Android tablets and smartphones with a more affordable price. Good features and applications available were not inferior to iOS.

The post Android OS is safer for children than iOS? appeared first on Gizmochina.