New Time-Tracking Feature on Facebook And Instagram
In an effort to recover Facebook’s image they have introduced a new feature called “activity dashboard” that shows users how much time they’ve spent on the platform.
The dashboard also allows users to set up a daily reminder of when they reach their set limit of the day. However, the set limit does not stop users from using Facebook and Instagram. Another feature on the “activity dashboard” is to manage notification settings. Now users can mute notification on their phone for a certain amount of time including push notification. However, users can still see notifications in their notification tab on Facebook and Instagram.
According to Forbes, Facebook is still recovering from the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and the fall of their stocks in July. After Facebook has made headlines over the past few months consumers are becoming more tech-savvy in understanding how data from sites like Facebook and Instagram are being used in advertising.
Facebook stated on their blog “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.”
This statement from Facebook shows the “activity dashboard” is an effort to win the public back.
What this could mean for the advertising and PR industry is that these industries will perhaps have to reach consumers in more precise ways. Facebook is discouraging “passive scrolling” which means less time a consumer will spend on Facebook and Instagram. However, this may encourage consumers to pay more attention when they are on Facebook and Instagram for the set times they have for themselves.
Personally, I feel the tool is more useful for parents who are trying to limit the amount of time their child spends on social media. I feel for college students and adults it’s a feature that may not be used and if used it will be looked at once in a while.