How many times have you wasted hours and hours going into a downward spiral while scrolling through your social media feed? Probably a lot, we’re guessing, considering that the average Instagram user uses the app between 24 and 32 minutes per day (and that was in 2016).
Well, Instagram is here to squash our endless scrolling and curbing all of our social media addictions with more new features. As of last week, the social media platform is testing out a new “all caught up” feature that tells users once they’ve seen all new posts in the last 48 hours. Instagram is already testing this feature out with some users (likely the ones who are spending hours upon hours on the app).
Since the social media platform has switched its feed from a chronological order to an algorithm that prioritizes content it believes you want to see, many Instagram users aren’t sure when to stop scrolling. Even if they have already seen a post, many will keep on scrolling. Luckily, if it comes to fruition, this new “all caught up” feature will put an end to this “zombie browsing,” as TechCrunch puts it.
Instagram’s CEO, Kevin Systrom, was recently quoted talking about wanting Instagram to support healthy user habits.
“It’s true . . . 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 . . .,” tweeted Systrom, who continued, “Understanding how time online impacts people is important, and it’s the responsibility of all companies to be honest about this. We want to be part of the solution. I take that responsibility seriously.”
Social media is a great tool with many personal and professional benefits. However, it certainly does have a number of negative effects when it’s abused.
In fact, Instagram is the most harmful social network for issues like depression and anxiety, according to a new study by the UK’s Royal Society for Public Health, wherein they surveyed nearly 1,500 people aged 14-24 who agree that the photo-sharing platform affects them negatively more than any other app including Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube.
That is definitely one good reason to spend more time with the people around you IRL.