So yesterday, a good number of users were not able to use Instagram. For a moment there was peace and quiet. No one was bothered about exaggerating what they are doing, who they are with, and where they are through filters.
While some might have not liked the idea of it, some were even stressed. It got me thinking! Just how much time do people spend on Instagram scrolling up and down through pics, double tapping, and sliding into people’s DMs.
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.
— Kevin S. (@kevin) May 16, 2018
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.
— Kevin S. (@kevin) May 16, 2018
Well, there’s an app for that! Not really, but there will be one if the words of Instagram’s co-founder, Kevin Systrom, come to pass. On May 16, this year, Systrom took to Twitter (why not Instagram?) to confirm, what was by then just rumors, that Instagram will soon have an analytical tool to tell users how much time they are spending on the app.
With the jump onto the ‘time well-spent movement,’ Instagram will – in the near future – give users access to usage statistics that will show them how much time they spend on the picture sharing social networking site.
This development comes against a backdrop of rising public debate on the negative impact of social media and the momentum is has been gaining over the recent years. Earlier this year, the BBC featured a report that collaborated these public concerns. The report features some 700 students who were found to be having depressive symptoms, which were linked to their interactions online. Another report says that people who frequent social media sites were three times more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety attacks.
