News You Might’ve Missed: Insta Will Start ‘Nudging’ Teens to Log Off at Night

Because sleep is important 😴

Content Warning: This article discusses self-harm and mental health.

If you’re a teenager and love to have a little nighttime scroll on Instagram, you might be getting a ‘nudge’ from Meta telling you to log off.

They’ve called it a “wellness tool” and they are trying to help users prioritise sleep.

Instagram will show teen users a black screen with a message asking them to take a break if they are scrolling “in places like Reels or direct messages” between 10pm and 4am.

But what if I’m a teenager and want to go on Instagram at night?

Meta told TechCrunch in an email that the nudges will start appearing after 10pm.

The nighttime nudges will be shown automatically and can’t be turned off so teenagers can’t opt in or out of seeing them.

However, if you’re a teen you will have the ability to simply dismiss the nudge and continue using IG.

(Although it's important to get a good night sleep too 😉)

What about other social media platforms?

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by RapTV (@rap)

In March last year TikTok rolled out a similar feature by automatically setting a 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under the age of 18.

If users wanted to turn off the 60-minute default, they would have to set a daily screen time limit.

TikTok found in the first month of testing, this approach increased the use of the app’s screen time management tools by 234 per cent.

Are there any other changes to Facebook or Instagram?

Earlier this January, Meta also announced it would start hiding types of content online for teens.

They’d also be automatically setting teen accounts to the “most restrictive content control settings on Instagram and Facebook”. This is to restrict the type of content teenage users will be seeing on their feed and in their search results.

There are multiple types of content topics Meta planned to restrict on teen's feeds. But in their statement, they used the example of someone posting about their struggles and thoughts about self-harm to explain their policy. 

They noted that while self-harm is an “important story…it’s a complex topic and isn’t necessarily suitable for all young people.”

Key Takeaways.

We get it. Sometimes at the end of a long day it can be a little comforting to scroll through funny dog videos on IG.

But whether or not you’re getting a nighttime nudge, it’s important to know when to turn off your phone and go to bed. If you find your screentime is affecting your mental and physical health, make the move to put your phone down.

And if you see anything online that might make you feel a bit uncomfortable, speak to an adult you trust.

If you don’t want to speak to someone you know, there are services you can use where you can speak to someone else.

Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times.

This article discusses mental health/suicide/self-harm. If you or someone you know is in need of support, call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.