It is a known fact that social media sites such as Instagram and Snapchat cause many people anxiety, depression, and FOMO (the fear of missing out). Although social media is often a great form of communication, the generation z population has decided to limit its exposure to the world by creating Finsta accounts, or separate pages just for close friends and family. They have essentially created a platform where they can share their thoughts, emotions while being their true selves. Often time these users have accounts for the public to see, Finstas are their way of escaping the pressure social media sites tend to cause.
We all know that generation z is extremely connected with social networking sites and is known for essentially publishing their entire lives through it. It all started off with myspace which was founded in 2003. My space was one of the first sites that allowed people to post information on their day to day lives. Although gen z enjoys partaking in social media normalities, they are also more prone to anxiety and depression than previous generations.
“Smartphones were introduced in 2007, and by 2015 fully 92 percent of teens and young adults owned a smartphone. The rise in depressive symptoms correlates with smartphone adoption during that period, even when matched year by year,” says San Diego State University psychologist Jean Twenge.
Many young adults and teenagers are creating Finsta accounts because they are scared of current and/or potential employers monitoring their posts. Once students complete their studies, it is extremely difficult to land a job in almost all fields. Because young adults are paranoid about their media posts they resort to their finsta accounts where they can post worry-free.
Brooke Erin Duffy, an assistant professor of communication at Cornell University, says the main reason some of her students have a “finsta” account is fear of monitoring from employers.
“Such acts of digital self-surveillance make sense against the backdrop of widespread media coverage of social media, gaffes,” wrote Duffy in a piece on Quartz. “We often hear about employees losing their jobs after publishing a distasteful image or a tactless tweet.
There is an extensive amount of pressure put on today’s youth population in regards to becoming successful after high school and college. Not only is there societal pressure, but parental pressure. Parents load stress and anxiety on their children, sometimes without even realizing it. Parental figures are starting to create social media accounts to keep tabs, which is another reason Finstas have become wildly popular. Teenagers and even young adults feel like they have to censor their content for their parents. With Finstas, they don’t have to.
Instagram accounts are for creating your brand and is ultimately kid and parent-friendly. Finstas are where you will find the secretive, real-life details of the gen z population.
