Instagram boss: 16 hours of daily use is ‘problematic,’ not addiction

The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has conceded that 16 hours of daily engagement on the platform would be highly concerning, though he carefully avoided classifying such intense behavior as “addiction” during recent testimony regarding the impact of social media on minors.

Mosseri, who oversees the Meta-owned platform, faced rigorous questioning from regulators and lawmakers regarding internal platform mechanics and the well-being of young users. When confronted with scenarios involving extreme, near-constant usage, Mosseri described the 16-hour figure as “deeply problematic” and an issue requiring intervention by platform safety measures.

However, the executive drew a clear semantic distinction between problematic overuse and clinical addiction. Mosseri insisted that the term “addiction” requires a professional, medical diagnosis which he is not qualified to make. This delineation suggests an effort to mitigate the legal and ethical liability associated with designing a product that intentionally fosters clinical dependence.

The testimony comes amid continued scrutiny and legislative attempts to mandate greater safety controls, following revelations about the potential negative effects of the platform on adolescent users’ mental health and body image. In response, Mosseri highlighted features designed to curb excessive usage, such as “Take a Break” prompts, parental supervision tools, and notification controls, arguing that the company is actively invested in promoting healthier engagement limits.

While confirming the company has a responsibility to minimize harmful usage patterns, Mosseri maintained that Instagram’s core design does not inherently aim to foster addictive behavior. He positioned the company’s role as providing tools for users to manage their screen time, rather than being the root cause of a diagnosable medical condition.