In an era where almost everything is exposed online, we seek escape from the eyes of the algorithm through finsta accounts.
They say every kind of relationship has stages. Romantic relationships and friendships usually begin with a getting-to-know-each-other phase. Couples who eventually reach a mutual understanding pop the question “Will you marry me?” Well, for friendships, the nearest equivalent to getting engaged is asking for your friend’s finsta (fake Instagram) or dump account.
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It’s rare to find a Gen Z with just one Instagram account. Most, if not all, younger generations have two or more accounts. At this point, having multiple Instagram accounts has become a phenomenon. For young people, privacy is a luxury that they share only with those they believe deserve it.
What Is A Finsta?
Before we explore the intricacies of social media and privacy, it is important to define a what finsta is. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, ‘finsta’ is a combination of ‘fake’ and ‘Instagram’ account. People use these accounts to post images and interact with other accounts in a more private, selective manner. It is also worth noting that finsta accounts are usually private, as the owner controls who can view their content.
Instagram, at its core, is a social media platform that epitomizes visual storytelling. Each photo, story, and reel is crafted with consideration of how one’s audience—i.e., followers—will react and engage. Social media, in many ways, has become a performance.
Typically, someone with a finsta also maintain a main account, which is often aesthetically curated to reflect their personal brand and has a larger following. For Gen Z, main accounts are commonly used to network with colleagues and professional connections.
Sense Of Self
In sociology, the theory of Symbolic Interactionism (SI) explains that one’s sense of self is not innate but developed through social interaction. SI is a sociological theory derived from George Herbert Mead’s philosophy, which states that people’s social and physical constructs are dictated by how they interact with the world around them.
“We are simultaneously both subjects and objects to, ourselves. Mead’s insight becomes clear if we consider what happens when we look in the mirror,” writes Michele Dillon, in her book Introduction to Sociological Theories. Charles Horton Cooley expands this metaphor into a theory called The Looking-Glass Theory.
“As we see our face, figure, and dress in the glass, and are interested in them because they are ours, and pleased or otherwise with them according as they do or do not answer to what we should like them to be; so in imagination, we perceive in another’s mind some thought of our appearance, manners, aims, deeds, character, friends, and so on, and are variously affected by it,” Colley says.
This concept is more relevant than ever in the digital age, where social media acts as the new “looking glass.” Instagram, in particular, magnifies this effect—our main accounts reflect the image we want to project to the world, carefully curated for public approval. However, finsta accounts offer an escape from this constant self-surveillance, allowing users to express themselves more freely without the weight of external judgment.
Behind The Account
Introspectively, we see social media as a platform where we share ourselves with an audience—while simultaneously observing others do the same. It is the modern mirror, shaping our self-images based on what we see on social media and what the algorithm feeds us. “Thus, the self is formed and maintained through ongoing interaction (and imagined interaction) with others,” Dillon adds.
Understanding that social media serves as a mirror where we project and receive our sense of self, many feel pressured to live up to the images that they see on their feeds. They curate an audience they feel most comfortable with on a separate account—one where they can freely express who they are without the fear of failing to meet the expectations set by their online interactions.
This aligns with how Erving Goffman, a prominent sociologist who is well-versed in Symbolic Interactionism, describes social exchange as theatrical performances. For Goffman, social interactions resemble stage acts, with individuals adapting different roles depending on the situation. The success of these performance depends on their audience and their reactions to various cues.
Moreover, Goffman views these performances as a fulfillment of social roles, in which individuals enact the expected behavior associated with the responsibilities and privileges of a given position.
The creation of private finsta accounts allows people to carve out a space where they feel most comfortable. Furthermore, the content they post in their finstas often contrasts with pre-established roles and images set by society—it doesn’t align with a person’s usual online persona. This is because finstas serve as an escape from the relentless pressure of performing for their audience on their main account.
Privacy Equals To Luxury
Beyond content, finsta accounts stand out because of their curated audience. There is a stark contrast between main and finsta accounts—the former curates content, while the latter curates followers. Furthermore, the selection of followers on a finsta account reflects a sense of control; the ability to choose one’s audience is a power that equates to luxury.
“In this culture of overexposure, the greatest privilege is to be invisible,” discussed Eugene Healey, a brand strategy consultant, in a TikTok video. Being offline or seeming offline, yet knowing where to eat, what to wear, and where to go is a status symbol that shows you know of these things because you are in proximity close to those who influence culture. Moreover, in another video, he talks about how having the ability to create a community wherein you can curate a more intimate connection and having the ability to select the right mix of people is a powerful status symbol.
Finstas offer a significant way to be ‘offline’ while being online, while creating a sense of community. Having a separate account to express your most authentic self can create the illusion of being offline, even when you’re actively engaged. Furthermore, your unfiltered thoughts and raw emotions remain hidden from the public and shared only to a select few, allowing you to build a close-knit community. Within this space, each member feels comfortable to let their guard down without fear of judgment.
Being authentically yourself is a privilege that not everyone recognizes. Feeling secure in one’s own identity is becoming a lost indulgence. For the younger generation, finsta accounts serve as a retreat from the heavily curated online world—an avenue to embrace their authentic self.
Banner photo by Prateek Katyal via Pexels.
