Just a day before Instagram’s boss faced questions from lawmakers about his child safety practices, the company released a handful of new features aimed at making it harder for users, especially teenagers, to fall into “rabbit holes” that they can be detrimental to your mental health.
On Tuesday, the company launched its Take a Break tool, which will encourage users to take some time away from the platform after a certain period of use. The feature, announced in September, will reach users in the US, UK, Canada and Australia for the first time, and all users in the coming months.
Users in these countries can activate the feature under “Settings” and select whether they want to be alerted after using the platform for 10, 20 or 30 minutes. They will then receive a full-screen alert telling them to close the app, suggesting that they take a deep breath, write something, check a to-do list, or listen to a song.
CNN Business tested the feature before launch; although it is a step in the right direction, there is still room for improvement.
For example, users need to stay on the platform for one continuous session. If the app closes while you run to the bathroom or the screen turns off while you briefly browse Netflix, the timer resets.
Once the prompt encourages a pause, the responsibility rests with the user to resist clicking the big “done” at the bottom of the message to return to the application.
Vaishnavi J, Instagram’s head of security and wellness, said the feature is still in its early stages and will expand its functionality in 2022.
Instagram has also said it will take a “harder approach” to the content it recommends to teens and will actively push them towards different topics if they’ve been sticking with something – any kind of content – for too long.
While the company said it will share more about the feature soon, a screenshot shared with CNN Business ahead of the announcement revealed that topics such as travel destinations, architecture and nature photography will be used to divert attention. The feature will be released next year.
The features build on Instagram’s existing time management tools, such as one that lets people know when they’ve reached the total time they want to spend on Instagram each day. The company said it is also testing a new way for people to manage their Instagram activities in one place, allowing them to mass-delete photos and videos they’ve posted, as well as past likes and comments.
“While it’s available to everyone, I think this tool is particularly important for teens to more fully understand what information they’ve shared on Instagram, which is visible to others and have an easier way to manage their digital footprint,” Adam Mosseri, Instagram boss wrote on Tuesday’s blog.
The company is also working on an educational hub for parents with expert tips to help them discuss social media use with their teens, as well as the ability for them to see how much time their kids spend on Instagram and set time limits.
The issue of social media’s impact on teens gained renewed attention this fall after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked hundreds of internal documents, some of which showed the company knew how Instagram can harm mental health and body image, especially among teenagers.
Facebook has repeatedly tried to discredit Haugen and has said that his testimony in Congress and reports on the documents mischaracterize the company’s actions.
But the clamor of Haugen’s disclosures pressured the company to rethink launching an Instagram app for kids under 13.
The disclosures also helped spur a series of congressional hearings on how tech products impact children, featuring Facebook executives TikTok and Snapchat parent Snap.
On Wednesday, Mosseri will appear on a Senate subcommittee as lawmakers question the app’s impact on the mental health of young users.
Members of Congress showed rare bipartisanship when criticizing tech companies on the issue.
Some lawmakers are now pushing for legislation aimed at increasing children’s online privacy and reducing apparent reliance on multiple platforms — though it is unclear when or if such legislation will pass.
Earlier last year, TikTok introduced new features to let users control their screen time, such as videos from top creators appearing in feeds to encourage users to take a break and do something in real life.
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Reference: CNN Brasil
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