When struggling to sleep, reaching for your phone to scroll through Instagram can be very tempting. Meta, which owns both Instagram and Facebook, has launched two new tools to encourage teenagers to manage their time on the apps. The company stated that "these updates are designed to help teenagers feel in control of their online experiences and to support parents in feeling ready to help their teenage children."
The first of the new tools will notify teenagers if they spend too long on Facebook. They will receive a notification when they have spent 20 minutes on Facebook, prompting them to take a break from the app and set daily time limits. Meanwhile, on Instagram, they will receive a "warning" if the app detects that they are scrolling through Reels at night. Meta added, "We are also exploring a new push on Instagram that suggests teenagers close the app if they are browsing at night."
These new features come shortly after the launch of Quiet Mode on Instagram – a feature that encourages users to set boundaries with their friends and followers. Quiet Mode mutes notifications and sends automatic replies to direct messages (DMs). It also adds a new status "in quiet mode" under profile names on Instagram, accompanied by a small crescent moon icon for others to see. Instagram users can toggle Quiet Mode on and off in the app's settings and choose to set a time period for it to activate automatically. Users will also receive an immediate prompt asking if they want to turn on Quiet Mode after spending "several minutes" on Instagram at night.
