Instagram Just Unveiled A Game-Changing New Feature

Instagram announced that it is debuting a new function on its platform today: Instagram Stories. Available for users of iOS and Android, Instagram Stories will, according to Instagram, make "it easy to capture and share all your daily moments."

Now, we know what you're thinking: But can't I already do that on Instagram? Can't I just bombard my friends' feeds with every single photo I take and artfully filter? Well, yes, you can, but all those posts get annoying real quick. Per Instagram, this new feature will mean "you don't have to worry about over-posting. Photos and videos in your story disappear after 24 hours and don't appear on your profile, and reactions and conversations stay private. In addition, stories are easy to share with just who you want (and hide from who you want)." Instagram Stories will also allow users to draw and put text over images so that the next photo of your cat can absolutely incorporate lasers coming out of her little cat eyes.

Still unsure about how to use Stories? Well, a bunch of celebrities like Serena Williams, Calvin Harris, and Nick Jonas have been Insta-guinea pigs and have already tried out the feature. And while celebs already love Insta, they're probably extra-excited that Stories doesn't allow public comments and makes it easy to edit who can and can't see them, so there's less potential for harassment.

We also know what else you're thinking: Doesn't this sound like another beloved social media platform? Well, Instagram Stories has already been compared to Snapchat, and it's true that the similarities are real. But in our experience, people use the two different platforms in different ways and with different social circles and communities, so there's no reason to think that they won't continue to do just that; in other words, now my Snapchat-illiterate mom will finally get to enjoy my devil horn-illustrated selfies too. It's a brave new social media world. We're just living (and drawing on it with our fingers) in it.