The "Finsta"

I know what you're thinking. No, I did not misspell Instagram. Creating a "finsta" has become an ongoing trend in teens who happen to have a little too much free time on their hands...including myself. It stands for "fake Instagram," or "fake insta," where you post horribly embarrassing pictures of yourself with captions your parents would probably write if they had an Instagram. There's no limit to how many finstas you can post in a day and the rules are a lot more general. There's no "hot time" to post and usually posts don't get nearly as many likes as a regular Instagram. But that's the beauty of it. Your finsta name should be something pretty funny, usually something that makes fun of your own name. And the pictures can range from terrible TBTs to awkward selfies that are way too close and have #nofilter.

Are you still confused as to why or what purpose this serves? Let's talk to some fellow people who have "finstas." I asked a few good friends of mine why they enjoyed their "finsta" accounts and they gave some great responses. My friend MJ told me, "My finsta is funny because I can be who I really am without anyone judging me because I have people that I trust follow me and I follow them. It's like my social media journal." She even included this wonderful photo from her finsta so we can see exactly what kind of quality pictures she posts on her account. This is one of her most iconic pictures of her and her handy-dandy poncho that she adores!

I asked a couple more friends their opinions and here is what my friend Sam had to say: "My finsta allows me to be free. It's like walking around the house with no bra. No judgments, just a girl and her finsta." It seems that most of the people who have their "finstas" are enjoying the freedom to post whatever they like, whenever they like and there are no worries. Abby also agreed and uses her account to tell stories about people she knows and share screenshots of conversations she has had with all different people...good or bad. She also uses it to roast her friends! I also spoke to my fellow friend and pal Jill who basically told me that her "finsta" explains itself. In short she told me it "sums up my mess of a life all on one page." Don't be down on yourself Jill, I follow your finsta and I think it's just great!

Here's a great shot from Sam's finsta account. She captioned this about how her day at work wasn't going as planned.

I use mine like a diary. I talk about my day and post an occasional #TBT that is horribly embarrassing. Here's a prime example. I posted this picture with the caption, "In Kindergarten they asked me who the apple of my eye was and I said myself."

I've also posted this picture with the caption: "My friends made me watch "House of Wax" and it was really messed up and scared me and now I'm scared that someone's going to kidnap me and make me a wax figure. As if being afraid of the human centipede wasn't enough, now I have this crap to worry about."

However, these aren't the only options for using "Finsta". Maggie uses hers to express her love for Dunkin Donuts. In a recent interview, Maggie told me that her finsta is a judgement-free zone and "it's liberating, just like going commando in a maxi skirt." She is known for starting the #movement in which fans send her pictures of them drinking Dunkin Donuts and she posts them to her account using the hashtag #themovement.

There are a lot of people out there who don't understand the beauty of a "finsta." They think it's pointless and dumb; however, it allows us to laugh and make fun of ourselves and create a little bit of joy in a world where there has been so much negativity. So yeah, maybe posting embarrassing pictures, funny conversations or pictures of things that we love (Dunkin) on Instagram is "pointless," but it makes us feel good to be able to laugh and joke around, and who doesn't want that in their life? So, I'm going to go ahead and make the call that you've heard it here first folks —"Finstas" are here, and they're here to stay.

Disclaimer: Finsta accounts cannot be given out to just anyone. That is why none of the names used in this article give away account names. It is too personal and is a security issue. All photos have been approved by those in them.