On Friday, Instagram announced that its ‘Take a Break’ feature has begun to roll out to all countries, including India. The feature allows users to set reminders to stop scrolling after a certain amount of time has passed, and it is available to all service users as an option.
Take a Break will join Instagram’s existing Daily Restriction feature. It lets users set a daily restriction on how much time they spend on the platform. The Meta-owned company has teamed up with youth portal We The Young to launch a campaign called Break Zaroori Hai to create awareness about the feature. Take a Break on Instagram will be an optional tool for all users.
Instagram’s head of product, Adam Mosseri, revealed in November that the Take a Break function is meant to remind users to exit the app after a set length of time. Users can choose between 10-, 20-, or 30-minute intervals to get warned to leave the app, according to Mosseri.
After months of testing in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, the functionality finally rolls out to all countries.
While the Take a Break feature will be voluntary, with users having to opt-in to receive reminders, Instagram claims that it will appear for users who have been scrolling for a particular length of time. According to the firm, users will get prompted to set up reminders to take more breaks in the future, as well as “expert-backed advice to help them reflect and refresh.” Younger users will receive notifications recommending that they enable the Take a Break feature.
Last year, when whistleblower Frances Haugen disclosed that Instagram’s parent company, Meta (previously known as Facebook), had determined in its research that the app could be harmful to young users’ mental health, the corporation came under fire.
Shortly after the discoveries, Instagram started testing the Take a Break feature to assist younger users who wished to spend less time on the service. According to Instagram, the new Take a Break function is now available on iOS and Android in the following weeks.
For more updates, stay connected with us!!