Instagram pauses effort to build version of app for kids amid scrutiny
CNN
Instagram is pressing pause on plans to develop a version of its service for kids under 13 after facing pressure from lawmakers to back down on the effort and new questions about the impact the photo-sharing service has on teen girls.
"While we stand by the need to develop this experience, we've decided to pause this project," Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, wrote in a blog post published Monday. "This will give us time to work with parents, experts, policymakers and regulators, to listen to their concerns, and to demonstrate the value and importance of this project for younger teens online today."
The move comes just days before the US Senate was set to hold a hearing entitled "Protecting Kids Online: Facebook, Instagram, and Mental Health Harms" to discuss the pressure today's youth face on social media. That hearing comes after a Wall Street Journal investigation around what Facebook knows about how Instagram affects teen users, including their mental health.
Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to successful cognitive aging ((is successful the best word to use? seems like we’ll all do it successfully but for some people it may be healthier or gentler or slower?)), including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.