Skugram!
Instagram is introducing a new feature designed to get underage users to pack up when it's time for bed.
in blog post Launched Thursday, the app's owner, tech giant Meta, announced a “nighttime nudge” tool that it hopes will encourage young people to prioritize downtime over anxiety-inducing doomscrolling.
This prompt is triggered after we detect use of interactive tools such as Direct Messages or Reels for more than 10 minutes after midnight.
“Is it time for a break?” reads a mockup of the alert. “It's getting late. Consider closing Instagram for the night.”
Mehta said the new feature was introduced because “sleep is important, especially for young people.”
The move comes after the company announced it would limit the content teens see on Instagram and Facebook, making it harder to see potentially harmful content related to suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders. It was done later.
When teens search for related terms and keywords, Meta hides related search results and instead directs users to hotlines and resources to get help if needed.
The company said in a blog post this month that settings for teenage users will also be automatically set to maximum limits on Instagram and Facebook.
These platforms also introduced new tools for parents to supervise their children's social media activity, giving them access to data such as how long they spend online and setting scheduled breaks.
In October 2023, Meta was sued by 33 states alleging that its platform is causing widespread “harm” to the mental health of young Americans.
These platforms have been mired in accusations of deteriorating the body image and mental health of young users, with critics calling the apps addictive.
And in November, a former Meta employee told a Senate subcommittee that Meta was aware of the potential harm teens faced on its apps but failed to take action against that behavior. He testified.
