Facebook and Flipboard decided to release some platform enhancements to reduce their users' doomscrolling activities. If you don't have any idea what is doomscrolling, it is the act of searching for bad news on the internet.
Johana, the wife of the photographer, works on her laptop computer in their bed during her isolation for a Covid-19 infection on the 2nd day of his 14-day quarantine at home during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic on October 29, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. The photographer went into mandated quarantine following the positive Covid-19.
This is currently done by many social media users, especially since the global pandemic is still happening while major events taking place across the globe, such as the pulling out of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Specifically, Flipboard plans to reduce your doomscrolling through its latest newsfeed personalization tools. Thanks to the startup's efforts, the giant online platform was able to release new controls for a more personalized user experience.
Flipboard's new "For You" feed allows you to choose topics to follow. It also enables you to remove those news you think is bad for your mental health condition. This new feature's main goal is to deliver a wider selection of stories connected to your interests.
Flipboard's 'For You' Feed's Details
According to Tech Crunch's latest report, users can now remove some of the negative political topics and other alarming news.
Phoenix Crawford does school work on a laptop while his mum Donna Eddy replies to client emails on April 09, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. Massage therapist and acupuncturist Donna Eddy is able to continue running her business from home as a clinical practitioner after the Federal and State governments implemented tough restrictions and the closure of non-essential business due to COVID-19.
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The app's innovation would certainly be useful since most of its users are more engaged with travel, food, fitness, parenting, photography, and other light topics.
Flipboard explained that its newsfeed personalization tools could help consumers with their mental health, thus encouraging them to stay longer on the platform.
"This level of content control is unique to Flipboard; just think about how hard it is to adjust your feed on any other platform," said Mike McCue, the CEO of Flipboard.
In other news, Telegram becomes one of the most trusted apps. On the other hand, Instagram now requires you to provide your age verification, as well as your birth date.
Facebook Also Wants To Reduce Doomscrolling
Axion reported that Facebook has also made some efforts to reduce doomscrolling on its own platform.
Mark Zuckberger's social media platform released some new features to de-emphasize political posts and other current event topics on its News Feed. The company said that it did this because of some negative user feedback.
However, this innovation could also affect some news publishing agencies, especially those focusing on negative stories.
For more news updates about Facebook, Flipboard, and other social media sites, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
