How teens are hiding their real lives with ‘fake’ Instagram accounts

WELCOME to the “real” world of Instagram. No filters, no fabrications.
It’s called Finstagram, and is defined as a secondary Instagram account where a user shares real, unedited and humorous photos between a close circle of friends. These accounts allow a user to reveal their “real life” without damaging the flawless facade that’s followed on their “Instagram life”.
Finsta, a mashup of “fake” and “Instagram”, lets users reveal themself in their most unedited form. That ‘I just woke up — literally’ photo you send to your best friend after a night out? Or the gluggy frozen meal you have for dinner 90 per cent of the week? Yep, that’s what makes the Finsta cut.
Created mainly by teenagers and young adults, Finstagrams are intimate platforms where the user posts images intended for specific friends only. They are locked accounts, so users are able to screen their followers. In an age where 14 million Australians are on Facebook, 2.8 million on Twitter and over 5 million on Instagram, it’s hard to imagine who has the time or the energy for an additional account.
In an interview with the New York Times, 18-year-old college student Amy Wesson revealed her reasons for developing a secondary account to her already 2,700 strong following on Instagram.
“Finstas are private accounts that you only let your closest friends follow,” she said.
“You post things you wouldn’t want people other than your friends to see, like unattractive pictures, random stories about your day and drunk pictures from parties.”
Amy’s Finstagram account has a grand total of just 50 followers.
The desire for an ‘unfiltered’ account that eliminates the #blessed and #ilovelife attachments to photos has become more and more in demand. This type of account is for the friendships that froth on your flaws, but love you all the same, #nojudgement.
But getting real didn’t work for model Stina Sanders, who learnt first hand what happens when you take down the filter and get honest with your followers.
Traditionally posting photos from shoots and tropical locations, Stina decided to change up the way she posted photos on her Instagram. The London model decided to post photos of her facial hair treatment regimen and even Irritable Bowel Syndrome treatment sessions.
According to People magazine, the Instagram beauty lost thousands of followers after posting a string of unedited, out of character images.
“To see a photo of my bowel movements and not me in a bikini must have annoyed a lot of them,” Stina told Tab Magazine.
“It’s the kind of ‘I didn’t sign up for this’ attitude. Perhaps sharing my real life was too much for them. It’s interesting to see that real life is not to everyone’s taste,” she said.