The main reason for this move was that content creators used to receive too many DMs in response to Stories.
The Instagram platform has announced that users have a new way to react to the Stories they like. If earlier readers could only repost this type of content or send private messages in response to it, now classic likes have become available. In this way, you can express support and show your reaction in an easier and faster way.
One of the most important reasons for this innovation was that previously the mailboxes of content authors, especially those whose Stories were quite popular, turned out to be inundated with messages. Unable to otherwise express their reaction, users sent private messages, which led to mail clogging with uninformative messages.
Now you can like Stories in the same way as a regular post, and a private message will not be sent to the author, and a service message from Instagram will not be sent. To do this, you will need to click on the button with a heart, which will now appear in the Stories. Only the account owner can see the number of likes and the list of users who put them in a special settings section, and only for 24 hours.