Instagram was once a great social media platform specifically tailored for users to share photos of everyday life with friends and family. However, today, it has transformed into a free, revenue-generating app for users around the world. Not many people use this app to become rich and famous in the first place, which may have led to a decline in average users.

This is not to say that Instagram has to worry about the app failing or not generating enough revenue to sustain itself; but that the evolution of how one uses the app has drastically changed.

Many people may recall the rise in social media influencers and famous celebrities promoting supplements such as Flat Tummy Tea. This drastically changed how the app was used in starting to promote products; as users were making money on this free app, where this did not benefit the app’s revenue.

The rise in promotions has prompted users to only show the best parts of their life, to dress the best and not be their authentic selves, creating a social media persona, as well as shifting a focus on how many followers you have, how many likes, and how your follower to following ratio should be, etc. The shift in focus lessens the relaxation of the app, causing users to not enjoy it as much.

This shift in usage led to the creation of having a fake Instagram or a “Finsta,” in which only users closest peers follow and they share more personal and behind-the-scenes photos, that you would not want on your Rinsta, aka a “real Instagram.” What is interesting is that you are actually “real” on the Finsta rather than on the Rinsta because you are only highlighting the absolute best images you want others to see?

Having these two accounts proves how social media has become an essential tool in personal brands. Users have the option to turn their pages into a business page, a blog or an outlet through which they can share their talents and local and world news. It has become an all-encompassing app that displays a lot of information that can be beneficial and harmful. This is because of how information is spread on the app; in which they now have regulations on in terms of the verification of the claims made by different accounts and users.

Although many people have lost the use for actively posting on their Rinsta, the app itself is essential because of how fast users can share information with followers. Throughout COVID-19 and the world slowly opening back up, this is a platform that a lot of people have access to and could potentially reach a multitude of people to share all kinds of information for the masses.