Instagram Wants Teens to Take Breaks

Instagram's new efforts to protect its teenage users include pushing them to take breaks and much needed parental controls.

December 8, 2021 It's December 8, 2021, and Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day! We've always liked the idea of time travel, and days like this let us explore the concept in a safe, fun way. What's your time machine of choice? TARDIS? Experiment gone wrong? Or maybe just a simple hot tub?     ⏰ Today's Big Stories... in 30 Seconds Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don't have to): 338 articles, 9 podcasts, 11 press releases, 294 tweets, and 17 YouTube videos 1. Instagram Adds New Tools to Protect Teens Online Instagram is adding new protection tools for teens and parental controls. While the latter won't come until 2021 (usage tracking, set time limits), Insta will now push teens to take breaks from the app, and will stop accounts they don't follow from tagging them. More of this, please. 2. Sonos Supports Amazon Music Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos Tracks  Sonos and Amazon Music users are in for a treat this week, as the former can now play Amazon Music Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos tracks. After downloading a new system update for their speakers, Music subs should see new badges on the Now Playing screen that identify audio quality. Oh yeah. Turn it up! 3. Alexa Together Lets People Remotely Care for Family Members Living apart from an aging loved one can be tough, but Alexa Together aims to make things easier. With it and an Alexa device, caregivers can remotely track their loved one's activity, create reminders and lists for them, call emergency services if needed, and more. Want in? It's $19.99/month or $199/year. 🦑 Go Deeper AirTags are good for a lot of things, including helping people steal cars. Wait, what?! Yep, Charlie Sorrel has the deep dive you need on how people are pulling this off so you can keep it from happening to you.     🎱 By the Numbers Less time than expected Data: Backlinko You can spend a lot of time on Instagram, and the platform has only added more to keep you occupied. But that time spent isn't as high as we thought. In fact, it's only 24 mins/day for the over 25 crowd, and 30s mins/day if you're under 25. Maybe we don't need as much from it as our young counterparts do.   🔥 Today's Hot Deal Alexa owners ready to enter the world of smart thermostats are in luck, because Amazon's own Energy Star-certified Smart Thermostat is on sale for $47.99. Install it yourself, pair it with Alexa, then use your voice to make your home feel juuust right.  Don't Miss This Deal 🤓 Nerd Out "The legend continues." —Kyree Leary, Associate News Editor Thought we already knew everything about Vikings? Think again, because a new discovery involving cosmic rays has somehow revealed new information about Leif Erikson and the legend surrounding him. (Share on Twitter) 💎 You Know You Want It  A cooling fan for a phone? Image: Razer If you're doing some hardcore gaming on your smartphone, chances are it gets a little hot after a while. Enter Razer's latest gaming accessory, the Phone Cooler Chroma. Is it just a cool looking fan that can attach to your phone while gaming? Yes, but we know someone out there kinda wants this. 🚀 Facing the Future Who controls the metaverse? Look, the metaverse is probably going to be a thing whether we want it or not, but what will the rules be once it's here? Louis Rosenberg, computer scientist and founder of Unanimous AI, wrote a guest piece on VentureBeat to tackle the idea of metaverse regulation. Give it a read.     🗞 Extra! Extra! We've got you covered with the best in daily tech news! See the latest on our site or follow us on Google News. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Have something you'd like us to write about? We're always open for suggestions, too. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Tech Today newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here .   Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. A Dotdash Brand 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10005 2020 Dotdash • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.   [View in Browser]