Finstas for the Soul

If anyone is more pressured by the media, it’s teens. They live their whole lives online. The solution is a fake instagram account. A Finstagram, Finsta, account is an instagram account primarily used by teens that showcases the true ups and downs they are enduring in their daily lives with less care about what they post and what it looks like. This is in comparison to a real instagram, Rinsta, account, where lives are also showcased but the account focuses on the outward attractiveness and less interaction with others about their daily lives . Finsta accounts help relieve teenagers of stress.

For starters, Finstas are, for the most part obscene and unfiltered. The finsta community is a great place for people to release their emotions at 100%. According to The Odyssey Online, one of the top 15 reasons users create a Finsta is to rant or rave about life events. If a teen is having a bad day or maybe a teacher or classmate upset them, they can make a Finsta post to let off some steam and perhaps find other followers who relate. Tiffany S. from Connecticut says, “I think Finstas are to vent about what I'm stressed about and to share what I find funny with my friends. And because it's a Finsta, I don't really have to worry about what other people think. I can say kind of whatever I want without worrying if people will judge me because, for me, only my really close friends follow my Finsta.” By allowing teens to vent about their issues, Finstas can help alleviate stress.

Along with being good stress relievers, Finstas are also good for discarding the popularity contest. On a Rinsta account, standards and priorities are held such as  likes, followers, and a feed. A lot of the time when posting a photo on Instagram, the main things that go into consideration are, “how many likes will it get,” or “does this go with my feed?” This factor can also contribute to stress in a teen’s life. The aspiration for popularity is especially strong in the teenage years. That being said, on a Finsta account, followers and likes and a feed are almost irrelevant. The majority of finsta followers are close friends that the user can develop a bond with and can tell them what’s going on in their personal lives.

Lastly, a Finsta is private. The majority of Finsta users keep their accounts private so that they can choose who can and cannot follow them. So when a user goes to rant about that person they don’t like, or rave about an interaction with their crush, the user doesn’t have to worry about them seeing a post about them or a hater commenting negative things. Also, this is a way to keep out of a parental or relative’s watchful eye. For the people who have parents and family members that like to use social media, a Finsta can be private, keeping any nosy parents or guardians out of their business. This also relieves stress to not have to worry about someone being or you about all your actions all the time.

Obviously, Finstas are highly beneficial to teens regarding all aspects of life including stress relief and their social lives. It can be seen by the followers that there are things going on in someone’s life on a more personal level that allows them to connect. Also, it’s can provide shelter from the perfection and standards of family and parents or even peers. Teenagers create finsta accounts to relieve stress.

Sources and Citations:

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"15 Reasons Why Finstas Make The World A Better Place." Odyssey. N.p., 08 Jan. 2016. Web. 30 Apr. 2017. <https://www.theodysseyonline.com/12-reasons-why-finstas-make-the-world-better-place>.

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