photo credit: Malak Chahboub
Instagram is the third most popular social media platform worldwide, according to Backlinko. From the first day the app was created, Instagram was used to share photos of loved ones, food, and gorgeous vistas.
Since that day, according to Backlinko, Instagram has grown to a total of two billion monthly active users globally sharing their handpicked photos that represent their life. However, Instagram’s purpose has also evolved since then.
The social media platform has changed to provide news, an online store and marketing tool, and even a place to express political opinions and protest. As the app grew over the years, it began to accommodate the wants and needs of its users, oftentimes being the driving force behind cultural phenomenon like influencers.
For young Instagram users, their account usually represents a certain aesthetic they want to present to others or a curated version of their life, limiting the amount of authentic content that can be shared on the platform. For those who seek a different social outlet on Instagram, fake Instagram accounts or “finstas” are the solution.
“A finsta is a good place to be real and authentic and not worry about little details, unlike how you would on your actual main Instagram account,” senior and finsta account owner Annie Tanjavur said.
For many users like Tanjavur, the purpose of a finsta is a more freeing form of self-expression in comparison to their main Instagram account. But for other teenagers like senior Pearl Vyas, their finsta account serves the same purpose as a memory book or a photo album.
“The point is to just post your life as it is without filters or anything, and they are popular right now because it’s a way of making memories and looking back on them,” Vyas said.
Senior and finsta owner Annie Bookhiemer agrees and builds on this, expressing the way she uses her finsta account.
“I like to organize my pictures, and I treat my finsta like a digital scrapbook,” Bookhiemer said.
Whether it’s making a statement or keeping memories alive, something that most finsta users can agree on is the informality of finstas compared to main Instagram accounts.
“Finstas are helping make Instagram more causal again. Finstas are so versatile and can be used for aesthetic purposes or silly purposes,” Tanjavur said.
With main Instagram accounts, there is pressure to make sure every post is worthy of sharing and adds to their aesthetic. This is a pressure that finstas eradicate making them even more appealing to teenage Instagram users.
“People like finstas because they’re not serious,” Bookheimer said.
Additionally, finstas allow people to focus on the actual content of the post instead of how many likes and comments the post has.
“Finstas are giving people a space to post whatever they want without feeling pressured about likes, comments, and appearances,” Vyas said.
Moreover, this makes scrolling through finstas fun and appealing for many regular Instagram users.
“It’s fun! It’s fun to see other people do cute little dumps and whatnot. And I think it kind of shows a lot about a person, especially if you don’t know them that well,” Tanjavur said.
Finstas, popularized by teenagers, began to redefine the purpose and content of Instagram. It is only a matter of time before similar uses of other social media platforms take force and redefine social media altogether.
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