Instagram to remind users to do other important things

Starting this month, users of Instagram will be reminded to take rest from the social media channel and do other worthwhile activities.

Instagram head of well-being and safety Vaishnavi J said in an interview that users of the app can adjust the settings so that reminders will pop-up when they have spent 10 to 30 mins scrolling. The platform will also suggest other activities such as walking or deep breathing.

This feature comes at the heels of Instagram head Adam Mosseri’s appearance before a U.S. Senate subcommittee investigating childrens’ safety on social media, after Facebook employee Frances Haugen revealed that Instagram adversely impacted teenagers’ body image, sleep and anxiety.

Last November, Instagram announced that it was testing the take-a-break feature. The company didn’t reveal the percentage of people that closed the app after receiving the reminder, but mentioned that once the feature is turned on, more than 90% kept it on.

This month, the company plans to launch tools that will allow parents to view their children’s usage of Instagram and to set time limits. Teens will also have the capability to tell their parents if someone is violating the app’s rules.

Instagram is also testing features that would restrict people from tagging or mentioning underage individuals and reduce the risk of harmful or sensitive content in the network.

Meta last September halted plans to develop a kids’ version of Instagram to first discuss plans with experts, parents and policymakers.