Instagram is working on a new Quiet Mode that allows users to sleep through the night without being distracted by notifications.
If any key descriptors can be applied to either millennials or gen Z, they’re a penchant for excessive screen time and reduced sleeping hours. I honestly think the school schedule has more to do with the latter (I’ve honestly never understood the purpose of having education start at 8:00 AM, isn’t everyone just sleepy?), but the former might be on us. Whatever, we live in a world where everyone criticizes on-screen time while also shifting the most accessible education and entertainment to such venues; books have gotten so much more expensive nowadays, I’d honestly rather stick with PDFs. However, regardless of how much online exposure has been ingrained into our collective consciousness, sometimes it’s best to take a break from everything. Especially so when sleep is on the line because I need my minimum of six hours.
However, social media is perhaps one of the biggest hurdles we face in such undistracted sleep. Even if we’re not scrolling through our screens before sleeping, some notification will ring right as we’re about to get some shuteye. From there on, it’s difficult to ignore or set aside whatever that notification will mean: maybe it’s a message from a friend, maybe it’s a reply from some online vendor you contacted a while back, or perhaps it's someone tagging you in a post. From there on, picking up the phone means losing at least half an hour to scrolling, regardless of whatever the notification entailed. Sure, some self-discipline on social media might be helpful and healthy, but you know what else would be easier? Setting up a system where notifications are muted for certain hours.
Apple has similar features built into their iPhones, allowing users to limit screen time to either the device as a whole or specific apps, altering such parameters to their specifications. For those unable to access such features, don’t despair: Instagram’s on the way. Social media leaker Alessandro Paluzzi has revealed that Instagram is working on a new Quiet Mode that essentially mutes push notifications for the night (which I assume means noon onwards). Turning this mode on from Settings will lead to such notifications being automatically turned off each night unless turned off.
Read next: Instagram Publishes New Review Showing How It Ranks Content For ‘Suggested Posts’
If any key descriptors can be applied to either millennials or gen Z, they’re a penchant for excessive screen time and reduced sleeping hours. I honestly think the school schedule has more to do with the latter (I’ve honestly never understood the purpose of having education start at 8:00 AM, isn’t everyone just sleepy?), but the former might be on us. Whatever, we live in a world where everyone criticizes on-screen time while also shifting the most accessible education and entertainment to such venues; books have gotten so much more expensive nowadays, I’d honestly rather stick with PDFs. However, regardless of how much online exposure has been ingrained into our collective consciousness, sometimes it’s best to take a break from everything. Especially so when sleep is on the line because I need my minimum of six hours.
However, social media is perhaps one of the biggest hurdles we face in such undistracted sleep. Even if we’re not scrolling through our screens before sleeping, some notification will ring right as we’re about to get some shuteye. From there on, it’s difficult to ignore or set aside whatever that notification will mean: maybe it’s a message from a friend, maybe it’s a reply from some online vendor you contacted a while back, or perhaps it's someone tagging you in a post. From there on, picking up the phone means losing at least half an hour to scrolling, regardless of whatever the notification entailed. Sure, some self-discipline on social media might be helpful and healthy, but you know what else would be easier? Setting up a system where notifications are muted for certain hours.
Apple has similar features built into their iPhones, allowing users to limit screen time to either the device as a whole or specific apps, altering such parameters to their specifications. For those unable to access such features, don’t despair: Instagram’s on the way. Social media leaker Alessandro Paluzzi has revealed that Instagram is working on a new Quiet Mode that essentially mutes push notifications for the night (which I assume means noon onwards). Turning this mode on from Settings will lead to such notifications being automatically turned off each night unless turned off.
Read next: Instagram Publishes New Review Showing How It Ranks Content For ‘Suggested Posts’
