Instagram introduced a feature that alerts its users when they have scrolled through all new posts on their feed. The notice will appear on your screen and you will see, “You’re All Caught Up”. Instagram stated that they will now be using this space to suggest organic posts, new content and also a new place for ads.
Instagram released the “You’re All Caught Up” feature in hopes that users would get some insight on their screen time usage. The changes were made due to a large screen time movement questioning if social media apps have become too addictive, which in the long run could have negative consequences to one’s mental health. Around the same time, Google, YouTube and Apple all rolled out similar features so its users can keep track of their screen time.
The new “Suggested Posts” feature allows Instagram to display ads alongside new suggested content that Instagram thinks you may like. The new Suggested Posts feature also benefits advertisers, as it allows more people to see their ads. The Suggested Posts feature is a good way to track how much time you have spent scrolling through your feed, but at the same time it is intended to keep its user glued to their screen.
If you are looking at it from a business perspective, the increased ad space has a pretty significant impact. The only downside of this new feature being, it could set the screen time movement back as people have already ditched screen time limits during quarantine. Although, experts have argued that online networking has significantly increased value in our world during social distancing. This could mean that Instagram’s Suggested Posts feature may have very little backlash, or possibly none at all.
Instagram has already released the feature globally, so keep an eye out for these changes.
