Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram to testify before the Senate 1:11
(CNN) -
Just a day before Instagram's director faces questions from lawmakers about its child safety practices, the company is rolling out a handful of new features aimed at making it harder for users, especially teens, to fall into loopholes that could be detrimental to your mental health.
This Tuesday, the company launched the 'Take a Break' tool, which will encourage users to move away from the platform after having been browsing for a certain time.
The feature, announced in September, will arrive first to users in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and to all users in the coming months.
Users can activate the function in "Settings" and select whether they want to receive an alert after using the platform for 10, 20 or 30 minutes.
They will then receive a full-screen alert telling them to close the app and suggest they take a deep breath, write something, check a to-do list, or listen to a song.
Instagram's new 'Take a Break' feature
CNN Business tested the feature before its launch, and while it's a step in the right direction, there is still room for improvement.
For example, users have to stay on the platform during a continuous session for the feature to activate.
If the app closes while you run to the bathroom or the screen turns off while you briefly browse Netflix, the timer resets.
After the prompt that encourages pause, the user must resist pressing the large "done" button that appears at the bottom of the message to return to the application.
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New Instagram feature to be expanded in 2022 and other additions planned
Vaishnavi J, head of security and wellness at Instagram, said the feature is still in its early stages and will expand its functionality in 2022.
Instagram also said it will take a "stricter approach" to the content it recommends to teens and actively push them onto different topics if they have been watching something - any type of content - for too long.
Although the company said it will share more information about the feature shortly, a screenshot shared with CNN Business prior to the announcement revealed that topics such as travel destinations, architecture and nature photography will be used to divert attention.
This feature will be released next year.
The functions are based on Instagram time management tools, such as the one that allows you to know when the total time you want to spend on Instagram each day has been reached.
The company has said that it is also testing a new way to manage Instagram activity in one place, allowing them to bulk delete photos and videos they have posted, as well as previous likes and comments.
"Although it is available to everyone, I think this tool is especially important for teenagers to better understand the information they have shared on Instagram, what is visible to others, and to have an easier way to manage their footprint digital, "Adam Mosseri, director of Instagram, wrote in a blog post Tuesday.
Parent education center
The company is also working on a parent education hub with insider tips to help them discuss social media use with their teens, as well as the ability to see how much time their kids are spending on Instagram and set time limits.
The issue of social media's impact on teens came to the fore again this fall after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen leaked hundreds of internal documents, some of which showed the company knew how Instagram can harm mental health. and body image, especially among adolescent girls.
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Facebook has repeatedly tried to discredit Haugen, claiming that his congressional testimony and reports on internal documents misrepresent the company's actions.
But the outcry over Haugen's revelations pressured the company to rethink launching an Instagram app for children under 13.
The revelations also helped fuel a series of Congressional hearings on the impact of tech products on children, which included executives from Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat's parent company Snap.
This Wednesday, Mosseri will appear before a Senate subcommittee as lawmakers question the impact of the app on the mental health of young users.
Discussion in Congress
Members of Congress have displayed rare bipartisanship in criticizing tech companies on this issue.
Some lawmakers are pushing for legislation to increase children's privacy on the internet and reduce the apparent addiction of various platforms, although it is not yet clear when or if such legislation will be passed.
At the beginning of last year, TikTok introduced new features that allow users to control their screen time, such as videos from top creators that appear in feeds to encourage users to take a break and do something on the web. the real life.