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Facebook announced on Wednesday it was making a significant change to the News Feed, favoring posts shared by friends and family over posts from brands and publishers.

That means when you visit Facebook on the web or on mobile, most of the stories and videos you see will be there because your Facebook friends have shared them, not because a company whose page you once "Liked" posted a story or update.

In his announcement about the change, Facebook's Adam Mosseri, vice president of product management and the News Feed, doesn't say publisher posts will be demoted because of the change, but the "friends and family come first" approach has clear implications: Since publishers (including Mashable) depend on Facebook for a significant portion of their audience, the change will affect media brands' ability to reach that audience.

For publishers, the News Feed change doesn't necessarily mean a decrease in engagement.

For those brands, the News Feed change doesn't necessarily mean a decrease in engagement. It does, however, mean publishers will likely face renewed pressure to create content that is, above all else, "shareable." That would seem to favor entertainment-based stories and viral hits above more boring-but-important news such as public policy initiatives.

From a user perspective, the change means Facebook will be an even better place to discuss stories that your friends are already talking about. Facebook will also prioritize friends' posts you interact with the most — if you like (or, better yet, love) cat videos from your cousin ever time you see them, they'll start to appear higher and higher in your feed over time.

If that sounds like how you thought the News Feed already worked, you're right, and today's change appears to be a doubling down on that philosophy, and an opportunity for Facebook to clearly state its "News Feed values" in the wake of the recent controversy over claims of muting some conservative voices over liberal ones on how Facebook curates its Trending Topics. In today's statement, Mosseri says Facebook doesn't "favor specific kinds of sources — or ideas" in the News Feed, and that the feed should both inform and entertain.

The change aims to serve that goal even better, serving up more of the stories each of its 1.6 billion users want to see and, of course, encouraging them to spend more time on Facebook. Exactly how this will affect brands and and publishers isn't fully clear, but for them, one thing certainly hasn't changed: When it comes to content, the Facebook share is king.

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We've all woken up and thought, "Should I call in sick again?" 

Shine wants to give you the motivational boost you need. The daily texting service launched Tuesday with the goal to inspire millennials with fun and relatable text messages throughout the day. 

"Millennials are increasingly seeking ways to connect with themselves and set their days and their lives up for success. It's called intentional living and they are all about it," says the founders in email to Mashable. 

What started as a "side hustle” for Naomi Hirabayashi and Marah Lidey in 2015 became full time when they left positions at DoSomething.org to focus on Shine. "We had working sessions every weekday morning (hello, 6 a.m. Google Hangout) and every weeknight, as well as Sunday working sessions at our apartments,” Lidey says. "One Sunday, months before we knew we had funding, we took an extra long gulp of rosé and said 'let's do this.'"

As two women of color, Lidey and Hirabayashi say they are "dedicated to diversifying the world of tech and entrepreneurship." Silicon Valley, the heart of the tech industry, is known for its diversity problems, and women entrepreneurs statistically receive less funding.

The founders saw the problem with using social media, even its seemingly uplifting hashtags, like "Motivational Monday" or "Throwback Thursday," for encouragement. Studies have shown constant social media use can contribute to depression; comparing ourselves to other people on Instagram may not be the healthiest motivation.

"While social media helps us connect with others, it often only shows the 'highlight reel' of our friends or celebs, which adds to the pressure," says Lidey.

"They are not alone...what they are experiencing is 100% normal."

On Shine, each day has a different theme, with topics surrounding ways users can be happier, healthier and encourage them to be more confident and productive. The texts often include a GIF, quote or pop culture reference. Each includes a link to an article relating to the theme of the text.

The text is sent at 8:30 a.m. based on the user's timezone. Because the language aims to be relatable, the service feels like an encouraging friend rooting for you to have a good day. 

"There are articles, books and pricey career or life coaching, but nothing that is bite-sized and approaches you like a friend would (with ample Olivia Pope GIFS in tow). Shine is for millennials who are thinking about their work and life decisions 24/7 and have highs and lows throughout the week," says Lidey.

Users can respond up to five times a day for further inspiration:

Early user reviews are mostly positive.

Users can sign up for the free texting service on the website. Standard texting rates apply. 

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