Finstagram: High School Students and Their Private Instagram Accounts

• In Event: 18.038 - Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Victimization in the Digital Age

Abstract

A rising trend among teenagers are private social media accounts that are held separately from a user’s public profile. This research aimed to investigate how and why high school students used one type of accounts, Finsta accounts, and if they perceive and use their Finsta accounts differently from their regular Instagram accounts. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 79 high school students. Student attitudes toward the two types of accounts were similar, with the exception of perceived obligation to report drug use. Qualitative data revealed some differences between the different account users. Implications include better understanding of how parents and schools can create safeguards for misuse, as well as ways to foster positive use of private social media accounts.

Authors

• Derek L. Anderson, Northern Michigan University

• Isabelle Karl, Northern Michigan University