On Sunday, a Facebook executive announced that Instagram will now be launching the Take a Break feature to keep teenagers away from harmful content and encourage them to just simply take a break, from the platform, this news comes as US lawmakers start to scrutinize how Facebook and its subsidiary apps like Instagram influence youth’s mental health.
Facebook’s vice president of global affairs, Nick Clegg stated openness to the concept of allowing regulators have access to Facebook algorithms that are employed to magnify content. However, Clegg said he could not answer the question of whether its algorithms amplified the opinions of people who had attacked the US Capitol on January 6.
Instagram Take a Break Feature Will Make a Considerable Difference
He further spoke about the Instagram Take a Break feature days after former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen testified on Capitol Hill about how the corporation attracts users to keep scrolling, harming teens’ well-being. “We’re going to introduce something which I think will make a considerable difference, which is where our systems see that the teenager is looking at the same content over and over again and its content which may not be conducive to their well-being, we will nudge them to look at other content,” Clegg told CNN.
Read more: Facebook Postponed Instagram for Kids App Amid Strong Criticism
Teens Will Simply Take a Break from Using Instagram
In addition to this, “we’re introducing now Instagram Take a Break feature , where we will be prompting teens to just simply just take a break from using Instagram,” Clegg said. US legislators last week interrogated Facebook on its strategies to better protect young users on its apps, drawing on leaked internal research that revealed the social media giant was aware of how its Instagram app damaged the mental health of youth.
Tired of Hearing ‘Trust Us’!
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee, has argued for more regulation against technology companies like Facebook. “I’m just tired of hearing ‘trust us’, and it’s time to protect those moms and dads that have been struggling with their kids getting addicted to the platform and been exposed to all kinds of bad stuff,” Klobuchar told CNN on Sunday after Clegg’s interview regarding the latest Instagram Take a Break feature.
Source: The Verge
