Instagram has quietly updated its “Daily Limit” feature that allows users to receive notifications when they spend too much time on the app, and those may become even more addicted.
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Photo-sharing platform Instagram appears to have quietly removed the ability for mobile users to set a daily time limit reminder of less than 30 minutes. In response to user health concerns, Instagram had implemented features that allow users to consciously reduce time spent in the app. Indeed, Instagram had launched the “Take a Break” feature at the end of last year in order toencourage users to take breaks when they have spent a long time on the social network.
Previously, it was possible to set a reminder telling us to take a break every 10, 20 or 30 minutes. However, it seems that Instagram has increased the minimum duration of daily use at 30 minuteswhich however goes against the initial objective of the “Take a Break” option: the protection of the mental health of teenagers.
Instagram doesn’t want you to leave its app so quickly anymore
« Available values for daily time limits are changing as part of an app update “, could read some users in a pop-up. An additional window on the application activity page indicates that the value of 10 minutes is not ” no longer supported ».
According to The Verge, which also managed to spot the change on one of its smartphones, the options currently available are 30 minutes, 45 minutes, one hour, two hours and three hours. A study recently showed that we spend an average of 4.8 hours a day on our smartphones, so this new update may go against digital wellbeing.
It appears the in-app change was made after Meta’s Q4 2021 earnings report revealed that the company lost money. As you can imagine, forcing users to spend more time on Instagram probably allows the company to target them with more ads.
Source : The Verge
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