Social media—Instagram in particular—has become a space to post those selfies you’re in love with, pictures of you and friends or even that furry little pet you love. Sometimes, though, the pictures you post can be just a piece of you—a slight representation of the entire pie you represent. We have become accustom to showing people what they want to see, giving the prettiest version of ourselves. In a sense, we are always in search of that one flawless picture. The pressure to be perfect and to have a luxurious life has become overwhelming. In the past year, many millennials have been looking elsewhere for an outlet to freely express themselves.
Finstagram is a space where you don’t have to live up to the person you’ve created on social media; it’s a place where you can be you honestly. Finsta is also just a place for you and your friends. The purpose of a Finsta isn’t to have a huge following as your real Insta may be; it’s for those closest of close friends. The rules of Instagram that have been established over time don’t exist with your Finsta. So, if you want to post multiple pictures in a day or even in an hour, it’s completely acceptable. For example, that not so cute selfie or even a text conversation. Kianna Foreman, a junior at Florida State, says that Finsta “is my happy place where I can be the real me and a place for my fans to keep up with the daily obstacles I encounter.” Finstagram is the non-judgemental, alternative space for a person, or better said by Celine Bates, a sophomore at FSU, “it’s the behind the scenes. What Instagram doesn’t show you.”
Courtesy: Kirsten Kennedy
Recently, Finstagram has been compared to that of Snapchat, but often, a person will have hundreds of friends on their Snapchat; whereas, your Finsta is for the select few people that you choose. In addition, Snapchat is for quick occurences in life—it’s an ephemeral space, while Instagram allows for you to catalog the funny things that happen in life—a history to look back on. Snapchat has also become strategic for some people who put a lot of thought into their Snapchat stories.
We are a generaton that grew up with technology and social media, so it is a natural part of our lives, but with that comes pressures from society. This isn’t to say that other generations didn’t experience the pressures of being a teenager, but kids now defintely have it worse simply because technology has made it so easy to pick apart a person. Finstagram may seem pointless to some, but in the bigger picture, it is offering a place where we no longer have to apologize for being who we are or even for just simply existing and being a human. Finstagrams are becoming more prominent and, as they continue to grow, the topic of accepting people will continue to grow as well. For now, however, Finstagram is a good escape from the demanding views of the “real” Instagram world.