The Finsta Epidemic
Social media is the new and modernized way of connecting with one another and establishing friendships online. Over time, as technology evolves, social media evolves with it. However, evolution comes with its challenges and issues, like its lack of privacy and security. This is where the use of private social media starts to arise.
With the technology available to Generation Z (1997-2012) right now, there have been many ways for teens to express themselves whether that means participating in a dance trend on TikTok, or sharing photos with friends on Instagram. However, issues have started to surge regarding privacy and data on these social media platforms. As a result, this has caused users to turn to the idea of private accounts. According to a survey, 70% percent of Gen Z’s Instagram users have kept their Instagram profiles on private.
“I did have a public Instagram account with around 500-600 followers. I then deleted that account and decided to go to my other [spam] accounts and just follow a few people I know,” Celine Curameng, a Sophomore at Cerritos High School (Cerritos, CA) said.
Adding on to privacy, many users choose to switch to a private account so they can stay connected with people they know well. Having a small group of friends to express and communicate with can lower the concerns regarding privacy and data being shared around online.
“I changed my account to private because I found more peace following people I’m really close with instead of people I barely know. I think it’s just nice to be more closed off with a small number of people I know so they know how I’m doing and stuff through Instagram,” Curameng added. “I feel more comfortable with following people I know with more close friendships with rather than people I don’t talk to at all.”
However, it is no surprise that this change can offer a more variety of choices when it comes to keeping information private, which can personalize a user’s experience on a platform. One recent idea that has been trending in the past year is the creation of finsta accounts.
Finsta, or Finstagram, is a “fake Instagram account,” which is Gen Z’s own way of expressing themselves and interacting with peers in a private matter, only accessible to close friends of their choosing. It is not actually a “fake” account, but in other words, it refers to a secret spam account, allowing users to be able to post whatever they want, whenever they want, distinguishing itself from their public main account.
“I have a spam account and for me I just post random things that I think is not main worthy,” Hannah An, a Sophomore at Southwest Career & Technical Academy (Las Vegas, NV) stated.
The idea of finstas was created in 2011, and had started to become popular by 2015. Today, many Gen Z Instagram users have a finsta account, sparking this idea back to life.
“I think spam [finsta] accounts have gained popularity because on your main you might have a bunch of random people or mutuals following you but on a spam it’s usually just [a] couple close people,” An added.
Finstas are very different compared to switching to a private account. Usually, finstas only include a small group of close friends of the user’s choosing. According to Joshua Stein, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at PrairieCare, a teenager may have 1,500 followers on their main account, while they may only have 10 on their finsta.
Adding on, the content that is shared on a private account could be different compared to those shared on a finsta. Typically, content on a private account is more thought out before posting it, while those on a finsta are unedited, allowing users to share their thoughts, opinions, pictures, and feelings about a topic without the fear of being judged or receiving backlash on it. Finstas allow users to be their true selves and post whatever they desire to the people they trust.
“A spam is a space where you can post random life photos that you want only the people you’re close [with to] access. Also it’s kinda fun to just be posting random things,” An included.
Another way of expressing and sharing life online without the creation of another account are close friends stories. It has the same function as a finsta account, but it operates more like a normal Instagram story, just only visible to close friends. The close friends feature gives the option for users to select a list of certain people that can see specific content exclusive to them only.
According to a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, 70% of Instagram users use the close friends stories option daily. It makes posting content more efficient without creating another account, while still maintaining the idea of keeping content and data private.
Overall, as the older half of Generation Z step into adult life, the switch to private accounts have started to take a spike. As many are starting to graduate and work jobs, Generation Z has been starting to reconsider their public social lives and switching to ones more private and reserved. The use of private social media has continued to impose many benefits, including greater security and privacy, leading to more teenagers switching every day. As time goes on and technology continues to evolve, private social media has taken a turn in our society for the better.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9607886/
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