Finstas, or “fake Instagrams” are Instagram accounts made by users in which they only allow their closest friends to follow them and where they can find pictures that shouldn’t really be posted on the internet at all. What I mean is that finsta is kind of your “safe zone”, where you can be free and post whatever you want, such as promiscuous things or acts of misbehavior. Your followers are only friends who you trust with your life that would be able to laugh at the photo and not say a word to anyone. So a finsta is basically an Instagram that you WISH could be your actual account, but society and the world aren't ready to see what you have bestowed on your page.

I think a finsta is a great way to validate yourself. Most people make fun of themselves on their finsta accounts, for example, sharing an embarrassing photo of themselves with a horrifying story underneath. A finsta is a way of expression and telling people about yourself and what you’ve endured. It’s really fun and it’s easy to tell how that can be so validating. The freedom you allow yourself to have on your fake Instagram account gives you a sense of liking yourself even more. Because you get to share sides of yourself that people may not know. Remember, people only post on their SnapChat, FaceBook, and Instagram accounts photos that they want people to see so they can perceive them a certain way. It’s basically a snippet of your life, it’s the perfect parts of your life. But a finsta allows you to share wild, hilarious, and unbelievably ridiculous tales about yourself.

To gains someone’s trust for them to follow you on their finsta, you have to be loyal and never spill a secret. Finsta’s can get personal and embarrassing. You need to make sure that you are trustworthy by the things that are shared with you. Also, it's good to keep it in the family. Tight groups of friends (especially large ones) usually all follow each other on their finstas. Even high school friends can look back and see what’s going on with their buddies now that they’re in college.

So in short, a finsta is just an Instagram that has more expression and is an in-depth persona of who you are. It shares your defaults, your strengths, your secrets, or your stories that you’ve ALWAYS wanted to share because you’re so proud or so happy it happened. You can share embarrassing parts of your life, make fun of yourself, and allow yourself to grow out of your comfort zone. It’s an amazing way to get yourself out of your bubble and to show your friends aspects of your life you want people to know but never get to share.