Instagram introduces new youth-focused suite of features
Meta-owned social platform, Instagram, has launched a new ‘Quiet Mode’ feature, allowing users to pause notifications from within the app when they need some time away from the outlet.
The update is part of a new suite of features dealing with the experience of young users on the platform, after Meta last week called on stakeholders in the tech industry to benchmark youth safety efforts.
Instagram asserted that Quiet Mode was developed in response to feedback from teenage users who are looking for more ways to focus on school work in the evenings.
The feature changes users profile status to “in quiet mode”, and will send auto replies to any incoming messages on the app.
Rolling out today to users in Australia and New Zealand, the US, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada, Instagram has positioned Quiet Mode as a tool that will “encourage people to set boundaries with friends and followers”.
In addition to Quiet Mode, the social media app has also announced a number of customisable options to help users manage their recommendations.
Users will now be able to choose to “hide” content pushed to them in the Explore page, and select “not interested”. The platform’s algorithm will use these inputs to better customise recommended content shown to users on Reels, Search and Explore.
Adding to current features that allow users to hide key words in comments and DMs, users will be able to add key words that they wish to avoid on the platform into their settings, to stop receiving recommendations for content with those words in the caption or hashtags. The new feature can be accessed in the Hidden Words section of Privacy Settings.
The latest Instagram update will also include upgrade parental supervision tools, which allow parent’s to see their teenager’s privacy and account settings, to help support their experience’s on the platform. Parents will also be able to see accounts their child has blocked, and will receive a notification when they update a setting.
In an announcement, Instagram said the updates are part of “ongoing work to ensure people have experiences that work for them, and that they have more control over the time they spend online and the types of content they see”.
On the update, a Meta spokesperson said:
“At Meta, we care a lot about building tools and resources to help people – especially teens and young people – feel good about the time they’re spending online. We conduct our own research, consult with experts and review external studies to understand how we can do this in the right way.
“We know people want to be able to control their experience on social media in a way that works for them and supports their well-being, and we want to make it even easier for parents and guardians to help guide their teens’ online experience. We have introduced numerous tools that help them do this, including tools that let people restrict who can follow, contact, or tag them; mute content that contains words, phrases, and emojis they find offensive; limit the amount of sensitive content they see; and encourages teens to switch to a different type of content if they’ve been scrolling on the same type of content for a while.”
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