Instagram’s New Non-Skippable Ads Can Be a Blessing in Disguise

Jun. 4, 2024

Instagram’s grip on users comes partly from its effortless content consumption. A quick scroll up delivers a fresh hit of dopamine, fueled by bite-sized content. But it looks like the Meta-owned platform isputting an end to endless scrolling with non-skippable ads.

Ads are the real money made for any social media platform that is free to use. Given Instagram’s layout, users can scroll up whenever they come across an ad. Even if these ads are tailored to user interests. Even I more often than not skip these ads to quickly get to the content like an addict.

How Will Non-skippable Ads Work?

These ads were first encountered by Instagram users, who reported their frustration on Reddit. As you can see in the screenshot below, Instagram will show an “Ad break” pop-up with a countdown timer. The pop-up willprevent you from scrolling downfurthertill you watch an ad.

But there’s a catch. Instead of automatically showing you an ad, it asks you to scroll up and find an ad that already appeared on your feed. You have to stare at the ad, after which a6-second countdownwill commence. Once the countdown is over, you can continue scrolling further until you see the next Ad break.

This change has been addressed by Instagram spokesperson Matthew Tye who confirmed toThe Vergesaying ad breaks are under testing and will soon be rolled out to a wider audience.

Now, many of you might be wondering what the point of such an addition is. The platform already shows us ads where they can. You can find them in your feed, reels, and even stories. Is that not enough? I guess not. You see, up until now, people always had the option to quickly scroll past these ads.

This new change is Instagram’s approach toincrease user engagement with ads. By force-feeding ads to the users for 6 seconds straight, the company could boost its ad revenue significantly.

I wouldn’t be the first person to tell you that Instagram addiction is real. I regularly see people mindlessly scrolling through their feeds to view new reels and posts on the app. The charade goes on for hours without them realizing how much time has passed. However, introducing ad breaks mightencourage users to put down their phonesand close the app for good.

This wouldn’t stop people from using the app altogether, we are too addicted to it at this point. Maybe we will start living with it like we do now with YouTube ads. That’s no excuse for Instagram as the ad situation at the moment is already so bad and this is going to exacerbate the issue further. There are users who arealready looking for workaroundsfor this upcoming feature.

Honestly, my Subway Surfer + Family Guy Reels-addicted brain is not ready for it. But I am going to be optimistic and this could probably be the thing that could help me cure the addiction I have grown towards the app. What are your thoughts about non-skippable ads coming to Instagram? Let us know in the comments below.

As a tech journalist, I dive into the ever-evolving tech landscape with a particular interest for smartphones, apps, and gaming. With a passion for sharing insights, my articles blend expertise with a friendly touch—think of me as your friendly neighborhood tech support.