Instagram is Expanding its Array of In-App Prompts to Limit Exposure to Harmful Content

Spending too much time on Instagram is a known issue that many young people face. The situation gets worse if the content that they are viewing is deemed harmful. To address this issue, Instagram is implementing in-app prompts that will redirect the users’ attention to different topics without getting bogged down in the negative content.

As a result, teenagers will begin seeing nudges that will encourage them to check out other topics that are not associated with the images that they are currently viewing. According to statistics gathered by Instagram, 58% of respondents confirm that this new feature has made their browsing experience more pleasant and allowed them to be more aware of the amount of time that they spend on the app.

It seems that, on average 20% of teens begin viewing different content after seeing the in-app prompt. In addition to these nudge prompts, Instagram has also added a Take a Break feature that allows people to become more aware of how much time they are spending on the app.

Currently, this feature is going through a testing phase in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia.

It seems that Instagram is trying to ensure that a heavy focus is made on the creation of educational tools that will allow young creators to generate inspiring content focused on mental health.

Overall, it seems that Meta truly cares about the well-being of its young audience, and Instagram is not the only place where it is implementing such measures. Meta’s Quest Store now has parent supervision, which will allow parents to approve the downloads and purchases that their kids make when using the store and can gain access to the full list of downloaded apps.

Do you think that Instagram is detrimental to young children and teens? What other features do you think should be implemented to protect the kids? Let us know your ideas in the comments below.