Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said the platform is testing the long-awaited Take a Break feature to give users reminders when they’ve spent a long time on the platform.
“It does what you think it does,” Mosseri said in a video posted to Twitter. “If you opt in, it encourages you to take a break from Instagram after you spend a certain amount of time on the app; 10, 20, or 30 minutes,” he said.
The feature is “part of a broader effort to try and give people more control over their experience of Instagram,” Mosseri added. “Ultimately, you know what’s best for you when it comes to how you use the app. And we want to make sure we provide tools for you to shape Instagram into what works for you.”
The testing of a Take a Break feature comes amid intense scrutiny on Instagram and its parent company Meta (formerly Facebook) after whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before Congress about the company’s internal research that showed Instagram can have a negative effect on the mental health of young people. Teenagers told the company’s researchers that they felt “addicted” to Instagram but didn’t have the self-control to reduce their usage even though they would have preferred to check the app less often, The Verge reported.
