by Lydia Velazquez ‘17

With the prevalence of social media in today’s society, it is easy for one’s life to be viewed and judged by anyone. It’s just as easy to filter one’s life to appear as “perfect” as possible. However, the social media trend of “finstas” has begun to dismantle the expectation of appearing perfect online.

“Finstas,” fake instas, are second Instagram accounts made by users to post pictures and videos of whatever they want without the concern of getting a certain number of likes or matching the aesthetic of their “rinsta” (real Instagram). The accounts are normally private with followers consisting of mainly close friends, averaging below 120.

At first glance such a trend can be confusing, since the whole point of Instagram is to post photos of whatever one wants. That’s where society steps in. It is common knowledge that the average Instagram, along with just about any photo posted on social media, is an inaccurate portrayal of one’s life, given the energy that often goes into a post: choosing a photo, editing, thinking up a clever caption, etcetera. This extensive effort relays the growing concern towards the obsession over social media and its repercussions towards one’s mental and physical health, as addressed by Medical News Today and The Guardian among other publications.

Despite the critiques of social media, it does hold some positive attributes that are rarely considered, such as being a unique medium of self-expression. Finstas emphasize such an importance in a raw, honest, and unapologetic platform. Business Insider recently held a conference featuring a panel of teens who discussed today’s digital trends, including finstas. One teen on the panel addressed that users acknowledge their “two digital selves,” expressing that, “What we put to our close friends is so different than what we show the entire world. You have an ugly [account] for just your friends and family, and a pretty one for everyone to see on Facebook.”

Some students at Sherwood have finstas because their friends have one, but most say they made one so they could post or rant about whatever they wanted on a platform without extensive judgment.

“My rinsta is the fake me that is perfect and reserved. I try to make people think I’m cool, I guess,” said a junior. “My finsta is where I share any thought or image that I like. My finsta really represents my soul. I rarely post on my rinsta because it just isn’t as fun or expressive.”