Instagram says it will soon begin testing a feature called “Take a Break,” which encourages teens to take a break from the app to improve their mental health.
Instagram launches 'Take a Break' feature
About 75 million of Instagram's 1 billion users are between the ages of 13 and 17, and research suggests the app can negatively impact teens' mental health. The proposed "Take a Break" feature would give users the ability to pause their account and reflect on how they're spending their time. Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president of global affairs, told CNN's State of the Union that the goal is to encourage teens to, well, take a break from the app.
A recent blog post from Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said the company regularly looks for solutions when its research uncovers issues, specifically how the app can reinforce feelings of negative body image.
One approach suggested is to encourage users to change the subject if they are spending too much time looking at potentially negative content. The other is to suggest that the user take a break from Instagram to avoid dwelling on potentially harmful content.
