Does Your Teen Have a Finsta? If Your Child Is On Instagram, Read This Now! by Jodi Revill

Tech Teens Tip of the Day
5 years ago

Does Your Teen Have a Finsta? If Your Child Is On Instagram, Read This Now!

Since allowing our son to have an Instagram account, I check it every few days to see what he and his friends are posting and commenting on. Recently, I noticed several of his friends, mostly girls, have second accounts. My son shared that these are finstas, aka fake Instagram accounts. Per Urban Dictionary, these accounts are where people post items “they only want their closest friends to see instead of their regular Instagram (rinsta).”

What I saw was something very different – teens documenting inappropriate activity and sharing photos I’m sure parents would not want their teen posting. It appears their parents don’t follow these accounts.

We are the first generation of parents who are raising our kids in the social media world. Teens fail to realize items posted online will follow them forever – when applying to college or trying to get a job. Even with private accounts it does not mean it won’t show up somewhere on the internet.

Screenshots will hurt your teen every time. Please monitor your teen’s social media on their devices, as they may have blocked you from seeing these finstas when you search on your account. Asking them if they have one isn’t enough.

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Ann Marie Patitucci
Jodi Revill : I had no idea! Thanks for sharing this important info with us. And welcome to our community of writers!
Elisa Schmitz
Wow, such important information for parents to know. Many thanks for getting the word out to our community. So happy you are here. Welcome to 30Seconds, Jodi Revill !
Laurie Balles Simpson
Thank you, Jodi. I had no idea and I have one son already out of teens. Yikes. Thanks again for the heads up.
Jessica Acree
This is terrifying! Thanks for the write up that can be shared and will educate others to always stay connected and aware of what their children are doing online. It's a scary world out there.
Mike Prochaska
Glad I don’t have a teenager yet
Michael Kennedy
Yes, the older kids in my daughter's school broke this down for us a few months ago. It's unfortunate, but it's definitely happening. There are ways around most "front page" social media accounts so kids can have 2nd and 3rd accounts. Have to stay on top and in front of it all these days...Be honest, talk often, and stay open. Excellent reminder, thank you!

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