To Finsta or to Rinsta, that is the question.

I was first introduced to Instagram when I was in tenth grade, and I finally made my own account in my junior year of high school. Quickly I realized that Instagram was a platform basically designed for people to post pictures about their life in hopes that it will make them appear cool or “artsy.” However, no matter how far I scrolled, or how many times I refreshed the explore page, I could rarely find an honest post. Every single post I saw was either someone’s mediocre looking dinner, their way too expensive dessert, or a picture of them and their friends sloppily hanging onto each other trying to appear as though they are having the time of their life.

Still, I longed to find a post, let alone an account, that was genuine.

That’s when I learned about “Finsta-ing.” For those of you who don’t know, Finstas are Instagram accounts that are spoofs of your real one. Your Finsta name is usually something silly or something that describes your inner you. All of your posts are usually ugly pictures of yourself, or unflattering images that you took that day that accurately describe what you experienced. Cliché pictures of the picture you took with your 2016 Polaroid camera will certainly not make the cut. Captions are not meant to garner likes; rather, they are meant as a diary for your closest followers about how crappy your day was or how you embarrassed yourself for the 109880th time.

Although Finstas are funny, they are so important, too. Finstas are the only place where people actually document their life, not some life they want others to think they live. The Finsta world has an unspoken community that lets all the fellow Finstagrammers know that they wont be judged for their triple chin, for their picture of nachos that are half eaten (because you were too busy being normal to stop and take a picture before you divulged) or for their lack of filters. It also highlights what type of pretentious world we live in. I can't tell you how many times a day I consider deleting my Rinsta (real-insta) because not only do I not post, but I don’t really care about what others post. The only thing that stops me from doing so is that I LOVE BuzzFeed Tasty videos and Foodporn accounts, and taking the time following 450 accounts of food off my Finsta will take way longer than I want it to.

If you don’t have a diary, a Finsta is the next best thing. If you really think about it, it’s like gracing your followers with a free autobiography of yourself! Plus, it is the perfect spot to sub-gram someone if you don't have anyone to confide to! If you don’t have a Finsta and want to make one, then here are some tips below!

• Pick a catchy name! Are you a creep named Bill? Then your Finsta name should probably be “@billcosby101.”
• Bios are important: are you 6 feet tall and kind of awkward? Then make your bio “At least I’m not 6 feet under,” that way you allow your followers to know a little about you all while making them question if they really want to follow you!
• Don’t know what to post? Anything that you wouldn’t post on your regular account, a picture that is not perfect, or awkward photos will suffice!

Finsta-on!