Ask any internet dweller and they'll tell you Instagram is in its flop era. We've been saying it for months and the social media platform only has itself to blame. Between ripping off BeReal with its IG Candid feature, introducing Reels to compete with TikTok and switching up the algorithm to include random posts from people we do not (and will never) follow on our feed, if we weren't so addicted we'd have called it quits by now. Well, the plot thickens.

In what increasingly feels like the blokes behind Meta are throwing every idea at the app to see what sticks, Instagram has introduced a new function they're calling Notes. To those of you who are yet to experience sliding across to your direct messages, only to find tiny little speech bubbles above each of your closest friends and closely-watched celebrity's heads, then count your blessings.

Deviating from its photo-forward roots (again), the feature looks a lot like Twitter, or for those born before the Y2K bug scare, Facebook statuses. Personally, it's dredging up repressed memories of MSN where I would post weepy Taylor Swift lyrics as my status and hope someone would open a chat with me to ask "u k?". It seems the sentiment is shared, as friends post corny quotes like "real eyes, realise, real lies" or "live, laugh, love" in Wingdings font alongside other more innocent questions such as "how does this work? Help".

All those with financial stakes in the app are already attempting to extend their brands with the 60-characters-or-less blurb, spruiking album releases, product drops, etc. etc. Those influencers sure work fast and more power to them.

So how do Notes actually work? In line with Instagram Stories, when you post a Note it will eventually disappear after 24 hours. Your friends, thankfully, aren't notified each time you post a new one which is the only kindness Meta seem to have allowed us. You also have the option of sharing the note with all your followers or just your close friends.

With Twitter itself currently descending into a cesspit under a certain billionaire's instruction, Meta is clearly trying to capitalise on the chaos. Will it stick? Let's see how we feel once the novelty wears off.