It is very common for teens to have two Instagram accounts or even three or four. Their main, public-facing one is referred to as their Rinsta (as in Real + Instagram). Their second account is called their Finsta (Fake + Instagram) and is in addition to their main account. Teens use their Finsta as a place to post pictures and videos meant only for their closest friends to see.
Since teens’ main accounts generally have a lot more people following them, including adults, the posts on them are curated whereas Finstas offer teens a place to be themselves and post unfiltered content. And sometimes a place to hide things from their parents.
I talked to a 14-year old named Isabel who has a Rinsta and a Finsta. She tells me that she uses her Finsta daily to vent to her closest friends. Her main Instagram account only has a few well-composed photos on it. While her Rinsta has over 1,000 followers, her Finsta only has 64.
Isabel says that she posts things to her Finsta that she thinks her friends might find funny or relatable. But some teens also use their Finsta accounts to express deep emotional feelings. I’ve heard stories of middle-schoolers posting something that made their friends concerned, like signs of a possible eating disorder or clinical depression.
How do we give teens privacy and autonomy while at the same time knowing that they may be posting to reach out for emotional support around something that we adults need to know about? We want them to express themselves but, of course, we worry about what they express and to whom. And we know that, when hard emotions are happening, hiding behind a screen can be easier than dealing directly. It is key that our teens reach out face-to-face when things are hard. Social media and the Internet can allow an adolescent to isolate themselves which will likely exacerbate their sad feelings.
This is where having regular conversations with your teen is key, so that when something is really wrong they will come to you. Recently I heard from my friend about how happy she was that when she recently spoke with a group of middle schoolers about that issue, they all seemed to understand that if they felt that their friend was in danger of hurting themselves or someone else, that they should contact an adult.
Here are are few questions for your kids and teens to get the conversation going today:
We would love for you to share this TTT any way that works for you, whether that’s on social media or via a newsletter. If you want to send it out in your newsletter we just ask that you credit us and link to our website, and let us know at lisa@screenagersmovie.com.
HOST A SCREENING to help spark change.
FIND EVENT LISTINGS
Do you organize professional development in schools? We now have a 6-hour, 3-part training module. Request more information here Professional Development.
Stay in touch with the Screenagers community on Facebook, Twitter and leave comments below.
July 22, 2019
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
It is very common for teens to have two Instagram accounts or even three or four. Their main, public-facing one is referred to as their Rinsta (as in Real + Instagram). Their second account is called their Finsta (Fake + Instagram) and is in addition to their main account. Teens use their Finsta as a place to post pictures and videos meant only for their closest friends to see.
Since teens’ main accounts generally have a lot more people following them, including adults, the posts on them are curated whereas Finstas offer teens a place to be themselves and post unfiltered content. And sometimes a place to hide things from their parents.
I talked to a 14-year old named Isabel who has a Rinsta and a Finsta. She tells me that she uses her Finsta daily to vent to her closest friends. Her main Instagram account only has a few well-composed photos on it. While her Rinsta has over 1,000 followers, her Finsta only has 64.
Isabel says that she posts things to her Finsta that she thinks her friends might find funny or relatable. But some teens also use their Finsta accounts to express deep emotional feelings. I’ve heard stories of middle-schoolers posting something that made their friends concerned, like signs of a possible eating disorder or clinical depression.
How do we give teens privacy and autonomy while at the same time knowing that they may be posting to reach out for emotional support around something that we adults need to know about? We want them to express themselves but, of course, we worry about what they express and to whom. And we know that, when hard emotions are happening, hiding behind a screen can be easier than dealing directly. It is key that our teens reach out face-to-face when things are hard. Social media and the Internet can allow an adolescent to isolate themselves which will likely exacerbate their sad feelings.
This is where having regular conversations with your teen is key, so that when something is really wrong they will come to you. Recently I heard from my friend about how happy she was that when she recently spoke with a group of middle schoolers about that issue, they all seemed to understand that if they felt that their friend was in danger of hurting themselves or someone else, that they should contact an adult.
Here are are few questions for your kids and teens to get the conversation going today:
We would love for you to share this TTT any way that works for you, whether that’s on social media or via a newsletter. If you want to send it out in your newsletter we just ask that you credit us and link to our website, and let us know at lisa@screenagersmovie.com.
HOST A SCREENING to help spark change.
FIND EVENT LISTINGS
Do you organize professional development in schools? We now have a 6-hour, 3-part training module. Request more information here Professional Development.
Stay in touch with the Screenagers community on Facebook, Twitter and leave comments below.
July 22, 2019
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
Many young people are overwhelmed by constant social media use, which can displace important activities like sleep, schoolwork, and friendships. Over 200 school districts are suing platforms like Meta for harms related to social media addiction. The blog covers what problematic social media use is from a clinical perspective and how our kids can talk with a friend (or family member) if they are worried their friend might have some level of problematic use.
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A week ago, Instagram announced changes to its rules for “Teen Accounts.” All new teen users will be defaulted into these accounts, and current teen users will transition over the next two months. Instagram’s head of Products, discussed these changes, and one comment surprised me. She mentioned that teens aged 13 to 16 will need parental permission to have a public account, hoping this would encourage dialogue between teens and parents about social media use. However, I feel this still puts too much responsibility on parents when we need broader societal solutions. I discuss this and the rest of the changes in today's blog.
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We have created a table that compares the 4 most common social media platforms and the specific ways they are similar and different. Spoiler alert, they are way more similar than different. It makes perfect sense since companies see what young people use on other apps and incorporate such features into their own apps.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
