We’re all guilty of spending more time on social media than we would like. Most of us probably aren’t even aware of just how much time we waste just mindlessly browsing an endless feed of content. Sites like Facebook and apps like Instagram were, after all, engineered to hook us in and keep us there for as long as possible.
In an attempt to prevent and combat social media addiction, a number of developers have begun releasing third-party apps that can help users keep track of their app usage. Apps like Moment take it one step further; apart from keeping track of how much time you spend on your smartphone, you can also set a time limit that will lock you out of your phone once you’ve reached it. Though some companies have begun taking matters into their own hands by developing and adding time management features to their products or services, such as Google’s “digital wellbeing” on the Android P operating system.
While it hasn’t been officially announced or implemented, it seems that Instagram is following suit. An app researcher recently found a code hidden in the Android app titled “Usage Insights,” a new feature that will allow users to monitor how much time they spend on the app. This was confirmed by Instagram’s CEO, who explained that they were “building tools that will help the IG community know more about the time they spend on Instagram—any time should be positive and intentional.”
We’re building tools that will help the IG community know more about the time they spend on Instagram – any time should be positive and intentional.
— Kevin S. (@kevin) May 16, 2018
For many Millennials, tech-savvy individuals, and smartphone users, Instagram has become very much a part of the daily routine; we browse through our feed first thing in the morning and right before going to bed. Which leaves us wondering, how will the addition of a time tracking feature impact its users—is awareness really enough to curb how much time we spend on the app?
Images courtesy of Unsplash.
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