I do have an account, but I don't have a smart phone. I have to access on my home computer. I am logged in and I just don't see it where Instagram says it would be. I'm sure I miss a lot of content that is specifically designed for mobile apps..
Click on someone avatar to access their stories. They only last for 24hrs and then disappear. You’ll know when their is a story because they’ll be a pinkish ring around their avatar. Maybe it’s called a profile pic and not an avatar.