Facebook and Instagram's latest tool could curb your social media addiction
![We’re all guilty of looking at Facebook without even realising we’re looking at Facebook [Photo: Pexels]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/D7vTbomlBwWbIv2BOpjDuw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/76290a4963fd9a92f47f2acb0a97a629)
How long do you spend on Facebook and Instagram daily?
Be honest with yourself; it’s not just while you’re on the train into work.
It’s for ten minutes when you wake up, half an hour when you’re waiting for a late friend or just a few minutes while trying to avoid eye contact with someone else in the lift.
In other words, it racks up – and despite advice suggesting that it’s bad for our mental health, our habits don’t look set to change any time soon.
Or perhaps they will thanks to Facebook and Instagram’s new tool.
![It’s easy to scroll endlessly on Instagram [Photo: Pexels]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/470c_wEKvr9kjxpRDpj06A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcyMA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/c8e78aaa0f187ad91afb8859ff78c7b1)
The companies are introducing new ways for users to manage how much time they spend on the platforms, such as the ability to set time limits for using them, a new dashboard showing how much you do use them and the option to mute notifications.
To access the tools go to the settings page of Instagram or Facebook and look for the headers “your activity” or “your time on Facebook”.
Instagram’s Ameet Ranadive and Facebook’s David Ginsberg recently wrote about the change in a blog post.
They said: “We developed these tools based on collaboration and inspiration from leading mental health experts and organisations, academics, our own extensive research and feedback from our community.
![Reckon you need to cut down? [Photo: Pexels]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/.3MqicFya.qpJZN7T.vIhg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/90c9882a40a0d22cacb62268ce4fe705)
“We want the time people spend on Facebook and Instagram to be intentional, positive and inspiring.
“Our hope is that these tools give people more control over the time they spend on our platforms and also foster conversations between parents and teens about the online habits that are right for them.”
Reckon the new tools will cut the amount of time you spend on social media, or is the effort futile? Tweet us at @YahooStyleUK.
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