Forget finstas — there’s a new type of Instagram account taking over teens’ feeds these days. Gen Z is now embracing the “spam” account as a way to reclaim a more casual and authentic Instagram experience.
Finsta accounts have been around for ages, but they were primarily used to post personal and unfiltered content: memes, unflattering photos, and rants about your latest crush. They were private, so you were required to request access. Finsta accounts were purposefully impossible for your peers to find. And although it was generally all PG, it was nothing middle-school me would want my parents to see.
What Are Instagram ‘Spam’ Accounts?
Today, much of what used to live on finstas has now migrated to private Snapchat stories. And unlike those hidden finstas on Instagram, the majority of today’s spam accounts are public and displayed in main Instagram bios. They’re less about intensely personal information and more about curating a collection of photos and videos you enjoy. While the account may be public and individuals can see your feed when they click on your profile, only your close friends who follow the account will see when you “spam” their feed.
When I think of the driving force behind spam accounts, the phrase that comes to mind is the desire to “make Instagram casual again.” For much of Gen Z, Instagram has become a place where the pressure to present a perfect image is overwhelming. Instagram used to be a social media platform where your best friends followed you, and you followed them back. Not anymore… Think about it: you meet someone briefly through a mutual friend, and they follow you. You feel obligated to follow them back — but you literally just met them, and suddenly, you’re sharing your life with someone you barely know. I find this constant performance exhausting, and I don’t need to annoy all of these people who barely even know me with posts every week, let alone every day. And that’s where the spam account comes in. I can post whenever and whatever I feel like without the judgment of people seeing it in real-time on their feed.
Do you have tons of amazing photos from a trip that you can’t fit into a single post? Spam account. Do you adore a photo but feel it doesn’t quite fit the aesthetic of your feed? Spam account. Did you take a weirdly aesthetic pic of your shoes and the sidewalk that might make your “Rinsta” followers question your sanity? You guessed it: spam account. And my personal favorite: are you not allowed to post an adorable photo on your main account because your friend doesn’t love how she looks in it? Spam. Account.
On a recent ski trip, I posted a photo of my friend and me on the mountain on my main account, where my posts are more curated. I shared a photo of our walk to dinner (you can see below) on my spam account, where I have more candid and “leftover” pictures that don’t end up making my main feed.
Spam accounts can have many forms; what I’ve discussed so far is a classic spam account that highlights photos of one’s everyday life. But I’ve seen all sorts of cooking, traveling, and more niche-themed spam accounts pop up. One of my best friends brings her digital camera out with her on the go and has a spam account designated to display all of her vintage ESC photos of our friends. It’s all a way for Gen Z to share their more specific interests with a smaller circle of friends rather than with their larger main following.
When I spent a semester abroad, I found myself posting on my spam account a lot (and I mean a lot). I loved all of the photos I took, but I didn’t need to constantly let everyone following my main account know what I was up to. Instead, I used my spam account to share and log my trips and memories.
Spam Accounts & Main Accounts
For some teens, a spam account is just a digital dumping ground for their overflow of pictures on a girls’ night out. For others, it’s a carefully curated space to showcase their authenticity. Although it might be subconscious for some, I like to think of spam accounts as a place where Gen Z can push back against the polished, performative nature of their main Instagram feeds that tend to be filtered and edited to perfection. The spam account is essentially the behind-the-scenes glimpse into everyday life and passions.
As we all know, Gen Z is the generation of social media. But I think social media is a double-edged sword — especially for girls. It can help us grow as an individual by providing information and connections, but at the same time, social media perpetuates unrealistic beauty standards and creates pressure to project an idealized version of ourselves. Let’s be honest: nobody, and I mean nobody, looks that perfect in real life. And I’d be lying if I said I haven’t agonized over which of two nearly identical photos to post or spent an eternity crafting the perfect caption on my main account. With spam accounts, all of that pressure, which seems ridiculous to admit exists, disappears. You can be yourself, unfiltered and unedited.
As an entirely social media-driven generation, Gen Z understands the difference between a constructed online persona and the reality of their own lives. Spam accounts are a recognition that life isn’t always perfectly posed and filtered — and that there is beauty in that.
Beyond that, spam accounts let Gen Z not just consume social media, but actively shape it to fit their needs. Whether the spam account is used to share cooking recipes, film photos, clothing to sell, or just everyday life, it all has a similar purpose: A desire for genuine connection in a world that often feels curated and performative. So if you’re asking me, I say not only embrace the spam, but bring it on.
