Instagram is testing a new “Take a Break” feature developed with mental health experts to limit the time users spend on the app.
The new “Take a Break” feature will encourage users to self-limit the time they spend on the app by setting optional reminders to take some time away from the app after 10, 20, or 30 minutes of activity.
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Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, announced the new feature in testing on Instagram last week, explaining that some users may already receive an invitation to try out the breaks reminder.
According to Mosseri, the feature was developed with third-party experts to learn how to best frame the option and provide tips on alternate activities users can do to spend some time away from the app.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CWGgR-7gO8I/
The feature is still in its testing phase; however, both Facebook and Instagram already offer similar options, which allow users to set time limit reminders when using the app.
Facebook also has a ‘Take a Break’ option to temporarily block specific users from appearing in Feed and a ‘Quiet Mode’ it introduced last year to mute notifications.
The self-moderating optional feature comes after what is now called Meta was heavily criticized for its impact on teens’ mental wellbeing.
Although it remains to be seen how many people will voluntarily set reminders to moderate the time they spend on the app, the feature provides a valuable PR exercise that attempts to appease critics and provide ways for users to control and manage their experience on the platform.
Either way, it is important to remember that how long each session should last rests solely on the user.
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