The argument for fake Instagram

To put it on up on the real Instagram, or the finsta?

“Can we really be whoever we want to be?” Johanthan Evisan asked. Yes. On social media, we can. We don’t post pictures that represent who we actually are but rather, versions who are self-created and far from our cores. We anxiously check how many likes we have received to reinforce our self-worth. Meanwhile, our true, candid selves — along with the photos we don’t want public— remain unseen. This fabrication is most true with instagram.

As The New Yorker put it, way back in 1993, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog”.

©TheNewYorker.com

Somewhere along the line, Instagram has become a fabrication of our lives.

Let’s face it: all Instagram users are seeking social validation. Perhaps as a generation, we feel sad? We post an Instagram and then, in that very moment, receive instant gratification in the form of likes. We think, “Omg Brad from ENGN09 likes my picture!!! He must think I’m really funny since he liked that mirror pic of me which I edited to make myself look 10x tanner and skinnier.”

When likes start rolling in, we feel better almost instantly. The ” Insta” of Instagram, then, is not only the ability to share photos instantaneously, but to receive that crucial shot of self-worth.

 

We are all guilty of seeking validation through social media, especially at large social events. Take the Harvard v Yale football game, which is attended by hundreds of Brown students annually. That pic that we know we look amazing in, yeah we post it. But we also post it because of everyone else who was there. We were part of it and we want everyone to know it. Those pictures, along with the Snapchats we will post to our story that day were most likely a curated version of ourselves. What we post to the world isn’t what we send individually to our friends… and it’s probably not what actually happened.

We have to ask ourselves: why are we posting things on social media? Are we posting real portrayals of ourselves? Or do we post because it’s the right time, right caption, right location? Do we post to maximize likes?

Let’s think about what a ‘like’ really is.

The “like” feature on social media was pioneered by Facebook, and adopted by Instagram. They have since become the embodiment of social praise. More likes means more popularity, and popularity is addictive. “Likes” are the way Instagram keeps us coming back.

Unfortunately, we often forget that if we post a photo to an account followed by our supposed friends/followers, then it shouldn’t matter how many people “like” it: they already will because they follow us.

Even more unfortunate is that this desire for approval in the form of “likes” make us post for all the wrong reasons. In reality, it shouldn’t matter when we post. It shouldn’t be a rat race to see who can get the most likes in the least amount of time. We should post simply because we love the photo or the place or the people in it.

For some, the solution is finsta.

What is a finsta?

A “Finsta,” or “Fake Instagram,” is basically a bunch of random posts that aren’t tied to a personal account. Since the account is not under our real names, the finsta posts do not represent us personally and there is no pressure to give people what they want.

On a finsta, we can be sarcastic, we can be hilarious, we can be rude, or we can be vain. Usually, it’s a private account so the only followers are our closest friends (isn’t that who we want looking at our stuff anyways?) and we don’t care what they think because we know that they love us. We know that they aren’t going to think any differently of us if we post an ugly picture of ourselves with a hilarious caption.

Essentially, finsta is an outlet to showcase our real lives.

The art of a finsta is creative and most of all, spontaneous. It doesn’t take over 20 minutes to think of a caption, filter, or location… And the best part is that nobody even has to understand.

There are different routes we can take (i.e. happy instagrams, where people post overly upbeat photos with wayyyy too many exclamation points!!!) But hey, whatever floats your boat.

Some finstas are high-key weird AF.

A finsta example below.

So, can finsta lead to less stress and fewer false impressions on Social Media?

We spoke with some current finsta snitches, who offered their insight.

Mary Magidlin is the finsta owner of itsgannabpink (Don’t request her, she won’t let you follow her)

Mary: My following is a limited group of those who are not ganna be afraid of pink because it’s a selective taste.

Me: What exactly does “itsgannabpink” mean to you?

Mary: It’s ganna be pink is inspired by who I am as a person. I wear a fair amount of pink and that NSYNC song that goes “it’s gonna be me” really captures my determination, so I combined the two to create my alter ego. But the reality is, my rinsta is my alter ego my finsta is who I am.

Me: How many times do you post a day?

Mary: About 8 times a day.

Me: What inspires the majority of your posts?

Mary: My posts really are what is in my heart. This is a window to my heart. It’s what I am thinking. Like a window into my brain.

Mary’s sister also has a finsta! Apparently, finstas are genetic. SO refreshing that she eats Kellogs Frosted Flakes. Both Mary and her sis are sassy and they know it. Snitches want you to know, You don’t know their life! You don’t know how much milk she puts in her frosted flakes.

We pulled aside another proud finsta owner: Kolbybriantnaturegurl.

Kolby has 99 followers… and 278 posts.

Me: What exactly does Kolbybriantnaturegurl mean to you?

Kolbybriantnaturegurl: I started the Kolby finsta after I started mispronouncing different sports teams two years ago. It’s all the photos on my camera roll that I would never actually post, but I get so much enjoyment from posting the most embarrassing pictures.

Me: How many times do you post a day?

Kolbybriantnaturegurl: At least twice a day if I feel like it.

Me: What inspires the majority of your posts?

Kolbybriantnaturegurl: I’m a weird person and never really got to express that. I can have a finsta and literally post whatever. I can embarrass myself and my friends and everyone that follows me can see and laugh. I don’t care if they don’t and thats what sets it apart from a real Instagram. My favorite posts are the ones that don’t get the most likes.

Shaq hit it, Kolby kept the lights on !!

So where does the inspiration come from?

Spell things wrong, spell things wrong often.

1. SPORTZTEAM

Spells nothing right, and it’s so freaking genius: Tennix, olympix, endurinse, sportzmanchip. Got real creative with these.

2. PRIZZA! by Steve Brule

Take Steve Brule’s “Check it out” show, for instance.

He is painfully uncomfortable and it’s increasingly appealing to MANY (some) audiences. (me and most definitely Mary and her sister) Definitely watch this and this . and definitely this , maybe this . also this video of Dr. Steve Brule.

3. Next, take Kyle, from good neighbor.

He’s a genius. You may know him from GoodNeighborStuff’s Outrageous Fun video . If you haven’t seen videos: Ball Champions , Reptiles, Movies , or Lakers Champions . Literal textbook definition of ROFL.

4. Finally, another brainchild – Chris Simpsonsartist? Legend.

As cray as the finstas may look, let’s give them credit for creativity. And if they can potentially push us away from worrying so much about our “real” Instagrams by creating a life separate from the judgment of the public eye…TBH finstas are the OG you.

Mary said it best: “The reality is my rinsta is my alter ego, my finsta is who I am.”

There’s zero stress with a finsta because it’s supposed to make you laugh and cry and lmfao rofl and gtms. We don’t have to constantly worry about posting or about what people will think about us after we post.

After all, a post is just a picture. Let’s not get away from the point of Instagram.