Instagram has long been accused of stealing features from platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter/X. It appears that the company has looked to YouTube for its latest idea: unskippable ads that you have to watch for a period of time before being able to scroll further.
A Redditor posted images of the Instagram ad breaks. FireCubX writes that users will suddenly find they have hit the bottom of their feed, so to speak, and can’t scroll down any further. An “ad break” icon will appear with a countdown timer that prevents users from browsing through more content until they view an ad, at which point the counter starts running down.
I’m happy I only have a lemmy account
Wouldn’t it be funny, if that would end the doom scroll cause suddenly it’s a disturbance and can’t be skipped like other non liked content, so it breaks the trance and leaves the user with anger instead of numbness?
User tolerance of online ads is really being tested lately with the increase of unskippable crap. I suspect that some will stop rather than deal with it, but most will just tolerate it. Which is what they’re counting on.
I guess you’re right, but especially Instagram for me is something that relies on this numbness doom scrolling comes with. Every other thing has another driver. Like YT or Twitch is something for entertainment like TV, so (semi) active watching stuff, Facebook and twitter (now X) is something to get angry about, but Instagram is unsatisfying scrolling without knowing why. But why let it stop here and there, if it breaks this drooled scrolling. And if you’re in need of this feeling, there is also tiktok (as of right know, until the unstoppable ads are profitable).
I sure hope so. I use Instagram to follow my friends and local businesses, but I can get sucked into reels too. I have an app that specifically pops up if I spend too much time in Instagram to break that cycle.
What’s that app? I need that.
I need something like a smartwatch to just tap me on the wrist every 10 minutes so I can gather my thoughts. I want to be consciously deciding to waste all my time online instead of just losing half hour chunks of my day by accident.
In a Neal Brennan stand-up special (Piped link) he mentions he uses a Pavlok to shock him every 3 minutes on stage to remind him to smile.
Have you tried just looking at “Following”? That shows everything in chronological order, without ads. Lets me quickly see what’s new, and then close the app. I don’t discover many new recipes anymore, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay.
they’re stress testing the user base. they don’t give half a flying fuck how outraged you are. they only care about whether you’ll quit the platform. which you won’t.
Outrage, yes, but what about decreased usage? What’s the effect on revenue and stock price? C-suite pay?
Just delete your account and uninstall. It seems people forget they have that option.
What account?
Fucking Instagram. Facepals. Tweetle, or, “Borg” as it’s called now. The TicketyTark. Fuck all that shit. Hey look! Free garbage in exchange for everything about my movments and thoughts!
This was the deal in 2000. It’s been 24 years of marveling at how many people just - give all their shit away. Don’t even think about it. And then have the balls to complain when they get screwed.
An “ad break” icon will appear with a countdown timer that prevents users from browsing through more content until they view an ad, at which point the counter starts running down.
So the user has to interact with the ad prompt, they aren’t just presented with an ad?
If so, that sounds like an even worse experience.
