Over the last couple of years, ‘finsta’ have become more and more popular with high school students. 

A ‘finsta’ is a second Instagram account that is usually private. Users are more laid back with what they post. The account is a space for users to be themselves and share what they want with close friends. 

“I feel better when I’ve talked about my day,” Emma Hannahs, a finsta owner, said. “It keeps me on track. If someone’s on my finsta and they don’t like reading about it, then they can unfollow. The whole point is for you to have this account that lets you rant without being judged.”

Finstas come with the freedom to post whatever you want, but it can also come with some negatives for some students. 

“I say just be careful with what you put online still because things can still get around pretty quickly, so don’t post about illegal things that will get you or someone else in trouble.” said Megan Shawver who is a finsta owner. 

Finstas can be controlled by who views them, so people don’t have to try hard to post. This way, people can say what they want to say without any pressure.  

“I only have people I like and talk to on my finsta,” said Hannahs. “You know they are trustworthy people who won’t share everything you share and also will talk to me if maybe I make a post about being upset,” 

Finstas have been growing in popularity over the years and have had good and bad feedback. For some, they can make people feel better if they are talking to people their comfortable with and are being smart about what they post. 

“I just say don’t be afraid of having a finsta,” Hannahs said. “They’re not for everyone obviously, but they can be funny and let you have a place online where you can post almost anything and it’s acceptable” Hannahs said.