Instagram Stories is introducing a big change—comments are finally here! This means you can publicly interact with your friends' stories, adding a new level of interaction beyond reactions and direct messages. However, Instagram has taken steps to ensure this new feature doesn't become a haven for trolls.
Two important limitations to keep things positive
To maintain a positive atmosphere, Instagram has introduced two important restrictions on story comments:
- Visibility: Only your followers can see the comments on your stories.
- Commenting: Only people you follow back (mutual following) can leave comments.
No more trolling, just positive vibes and complete volatile control
Instagram has generally been a more positive social media platform compared to others, and these new comment restrictions are designed to keep it that way. By limiting visibility and commenting to trusted contacts, the chances of encountering trolls or negative comments should be significantly reduced. Just like Stories themselves, comments disappear after 24 hours, so if you want to preserve particularly meaningful interactions, be sure to take screenshots of them before they disappear.
If you prefer to have complete control, you can also disable comments on a per-story basis, giving you the flexibility to decide when and how you want to interact with your audience.
Adding comments to Instagram Stories is an important step towards improving interaction and engagement within the app. By implementing thoughtful restrictions, Instagram clearly values a positive and safe environment for its users. When the feature is available to everyone, it will be interesting to see how it impacts the way we connect and share in Stories.