Instagram launches new feature to nudge teenagers away from dangerous content

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As the world is consuming more and more content online daily, there is an increasing need to have certain filters, especially for teenagers who use the platform. In its most recent update, photo-sharing platform Instagram has announced that teenage users will start to see nudges that will help encourage them to move towards a different topic if they constantly gravitate towards the same type of content that may be harmful for them.

This nudge is designed to encourage teens to discover something new and excludes certain topics that may be associated with appearance comparison.

"We designed this new feature because research suggests that nudges can be effective for helping people -- especially teens -- be more mindful of how they are using social media in the moment," the company said in a blogpost.

In an external study on the effects of nudges on social media use, 58.2 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that nudges made their social media experience better by helping them become more mindful of their time on-platform.

"Our own research shows they are working too: during a one-week testing period, one in five teens who saw our new nudges switched to a different topic," the company said.

The company also mentioned that it is expanding parental supervision features on Instagram.

On Instagram, parents and guardians can now send invitations to their teens to initiate supervision tools. Initially, only teens could send invitations.

They can also set specific times during the day or week when they would like to limit their teen's use of Instagram.

Starting this month, these tools will begin rolling out to other countries, including the UK, Japan, Australia, Ireland, Canada, France and Germany, with plans to roll out globally before the end of the year.

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