Coming soon: Instagram Reels

Instagram is set to release a new feature called Reels in the UK, potentially by August 2020. We have been keeping track of the release and here is what we know so far.

Reels is Instagram’s attempt to match TikTok’s dominance of short form video sharing.
The feature is aimed at Instagram’s young users.
Reels will form part of Instagram’s Story Feature and will allow users to post 15 second videos. Posts are identified as Reels by an icon in the bottom left corner.
A new tab will be added to users accounts, where all Reels will be located.

Watch our video for more details on what to expect from the new feature:

Safety Tips

Young people may feel pressure to be liked online, particularly when creating and sharing short videos. These aspirations can place young people at risk by making them susceptible to follower influence on social media. In other words, interaction with their fan base and friends may encourage risky behaviours. These behaviours may include sharing personal information or publishing provocative content to ‘go viral’.

You should remind young people:

That they should behave online as they would offline.
About the importance of healthy boundaries with screen time.
What they can do if they come across anything upsetting or distressing online.
About the importance of protecting their personal information online e.g their location, images and contact details.

For more information on Instagram or TikTok, check out our Safety Centre.

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Creative Activity Pack

As the lockdown begins to ease, we could all benefit from less screen time, give children in your care the opportunity to get away from screens and get creative.

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