Instagram’s new speed feature: Convenience or psychological concern? How will it impact your attention span? | Mint-OxBig News Network

Meta-owned Instagram is on a roll, adding new features that may resemble TikTok. According to a TechCrunch report, this time, the platform is adding the feature to fast-forward the reels at 2x speed by long pressing on either the left or right side of the screen.

Since the inception of TikTok, users could make 15-second videos. However, with the platform’s growing popularity, the American social media giant later added new features to create longer videos. The platform also added a feature to speed up this short-format content so users could consume it quickly.

Similarly, Instagram is reportedly adding a feature to fast-forward the reels so users can consume them faster.

How can fast-forwarding the already short reels impact users?

Fast-forwarding videos allows users to quickly consume longer-format content, saving time. However, this also has some drawbacks. Experts believe it can have certain psychological implications.

According to Radhika Acharya, consultant clinical and rehabilitation psychologist, fast-forwarding the already short content would further harm users’ attention spans.

Acharya explained, “Reels offer more information in little time. This leads the unsatisfied human brain to seek more information. Fast-forwarding all the short videos will further make people impulsive, as the brain releases dopamine faster and seeks more such content. This will reduce their attention span and can even lead to changes in their personality.”

The expert also added that consuming more short-format content will eventually negatively affect users’ mental health.

While some users may welcome such features on Instagram, others might not like it.

Meanwhile, Meta has also introduced new AI-powered tools to help brands connect with the right creators to drive sales. The announcement includes advanced creator discovery and content recommendation features, along with enhanced insights for businesses within Instagram’s creator marketplace. These updates aim to accelerate brand growth through more effective creator partnerships.