Social platform · Medium risk
Is Instagram Reels safe for your child?
Age guide
13+
We advise Instagram Reels from age 13 and up. Overall risk 5/10 (medium risk).
- 5-8
- Instagram Reels is not recommended for this age group due to the platform's age restrictions and exposure to public content.
- 9-12
- Children in this age range may be exposed to trending dances and challenges, some of which could be inappropriate or encourage risky behavior.
- 13-15
- Teenagers often use Reels to create and share short videos, potentially encountering content that promotes unrealistic body images or cyberbullying.
- 16+
- Older teens may engage with a wider variety of Reels content, including political commentary, mature humor, and potentially explicit user-generated material.
Instagram Reels is a feature within the Instagram platform that allows users to create and share short, engaging videos set to music or audio clips. It is designed to encourage creativity and interaction among users, particularly younger audiences. The content can range from dance challenges to comedic skits, and it often incorporates trending themes and hashtags, making it a vibrant part of social media culture.
- Age guide
- 13+
- Overall risk
- 5/10
- Violence
- 2/10
- Toxic behaviour
- 5/10
- Stranger contact
- 6/10
- Addiction risk
- 8/10
- Language
- 4/10
- Influence
- 6/10
What parents should know
Instagram Reels allows users to create and share short, engaging videos. This feature can expose children to a wide range of content, including trends, challenges, and user-generated material that may not be age-appropriate. Parents should utilize privacy settings and engage in ongoing conversations about online safety and digital citizenship.
What to do about Instagram Reels
Free with a Parentwise account. The age-by-age verdict needs your child's age, which is why it lives behind the account.
- The age-by-age verdict
What we advise for under 8, 8-12 and 13+ - our age guide for Instagram Reels is 13+, and the answer changes with your child's age. - The one setting to change tonight
The exact Instagram Reels setting that cuts the most risk, with the steps to find it. - What to say
Word-for-word openers for talking about Instagram Reels without a row. - Red flags to watch for
The signals in Instagram Reels that mean it is time to step in.
Instagram Reels age rating and parents guide: common questions
What age rating is Instagram Reels?
Parentwise puts Instagram Reels at 13+. We advise Instagram Reels from age 13 and up. Overall risk 5/10 (medium risk). Violence scores 2/10, language 4/10, stranger contact 6/10 and addiction risk 8/10.
Can a 10 year old use Instagram Reels?
Not by default: we advise Instagram Reels from 13+, so at 10 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Children in this age range may be exposed to trending dances and challenges, some of which could be inappropriate or encourage risky behavior.
Can a 12 year old use Instagram Reels?
Not by default: we advise Instagram Reels from 13+, so at 12 it needs your supervision and the settings changed first. Children in this age range may be exposed to trending dances and challenges, some of which could be inappropriate or encourage risky behavior.
Can a 13 year old use Instagram Reels?
Yes, 13 is at or above the age we advise for Instagram Reels (13+). Teenagers often use Reels to create and share short videos, potentially encountering content that promotes unrealistic body images or cyberbullying.
Is Instagram Reels appropriate for kids?
Instagram Reels allows users to create and share short, engaging videos. Parentwise rates Instagram Reels overall as medium risk (5/10), with stranger contact at 6/10 and addiction risk at 8/10.
Is Instagram Reels family friendly?
Instagram Reels sits in the middle: fine with settings changed and an occasional check-in. This feature can expose children to a wide range of content, including trends, challenges, and user-generated material that may not be age-appropriate.
Instagram Reels parents guide: what should a parent know first?
Instagram Reels allows users to create and share short, engaging videos. The parts that most often catch parents out are stranger contact (6/10) and how hard it pulls for more time (8/10).
Is Instagram Reels safe for kids?
We advise Instagram Reels from age 13 and up. Overall risk 5/10 (medium risk). This feature can expose children to a wide range of content, including trends, challenges, and user-generated material that may not be age-appropriate.
Parents also checked
Browse all 1,275 entries · Read our safety guides
Release and popularity data comes in part from RAWG, TVMaze (CC BY-SA) and Wikidata (CC0). Safety guidance is written by Parentwise.