It appears photo and video sharing social networking service, Instagram is tweaking its move to minimize its damaging effect on users as it has increased its minimum daily screen time limit to 30 minutes, from the previous 10 to 15 minutes.
An Instagram pop-up was the first to officially notify users of the daily time limit. The pop-up read:
“The available values for daily time limits are changing as part of an app update”, it says.
Instagram bought by Facebook Inc (now Meta) In April 2012, has a shared infrastructure with the Facebook app, WhatsApp app. But while Instagram witnessed an alteration in its screen time configurations, Facebook, on the other hand, remains coarser when it comes to this aspect.
The new alteration allows users to be tooled with the option of limiting their increments of five minutes, allowing them choose their time limit on Facebook. A pop-up notification shows to notify users of the excessive usage of the application, even though they have the option of ignoring the notification.
It was the time Meta started the feature that it elaborated on its idea and approach, affirming that it gave users more control of the time spent on their platforms, while adding it created a healthier ecosystem for parents and teens to bring about conversation about healthy online habits.
Instagram had on November 7, 2021 began the testing of its “Take a Break” feature that encourages teens to stop scrolling if they have been on the social media platform for a while. The feature was one of Meta’s move to shut out harmful contents on its platforms, especially as it affects the younger generation amid the new legislation Meta faces as part of authorities restriction on tech giants.
Even though Instagram remain fuzzy on how it will upped the minimum daily time limitations, the timing appears to in tandem with the active user’s plunge initiated by Facebook in the last quarter.
Meta Inc. had projected a 2022 decreased revenue growth, largely due to competition and intense rivalry for the users’ times and attention due to features that generate lower revenue margin, such as reels.
And it remains to be seen if the amplification of the time limit, while fixating users to their devices with excessive scrolling on Instagram could a tactic the Mark Zuckerberg owned company is using to address the drop in revenues.
Ayoola Faseyi, an Abuja based Journalist with interest in Technology and Politics. He is a versatile writer with articles in many renowned News Journals.
He is the Co-Founder of media brand, The Vent Republic.
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