I’ve had my spam account for almost 3 years now, and I first created it simply because it was a trend. Only my close friends and family follow me, and this allows me to post more freely without worrying about my audience. I also feel more confident posting here, and I think this is common among people with spam accounts since, like most accounts, only people I’m close to follow me.

Instagram is a social media platform known for being a great way for people to share photos and videos with others online. It is one of the most popular platforms today, especially amongst high schoolers. With this, it is very common for high school students to have their main Instagram account. Aside from this, many students have what is called a spam account. But what is a spam account, and what is one even used for?

To understand what a spam account is, it is important to understand what typically defines a normal Instagram account. This is usually an account owned by someone who occasionally posts photos, videos, or music about their life or something they want to share with their followers. What differs between a spam account and a regular account is the content and the people who follow it. A spam account is typically reserved for a person’s closest friends or family. 

Roxanne Rasch (10) shares, “Everyone follows your regular account. A spam account is for your close friends where you can post whatever you want and be yourself without being judged.” What you post on your spam is totally up to you, but it is typically something more personal that you wouldn’t want to share on your regular account. In other words, like Roxanne, most people use their spam accounts to show their true selves, whoever that may be.

All this talk about spam accounts, but who started them, and why did they become so popular? Though there isn’t a concrete answer to this question, the truth is that these accounts emerged when people began to want an imperfect account. Tania Contreras (11) describes, “I’ve had my spam account for almost 3 years now, and I first created it simply because it was a trend. Only my close friends and family follow me, and this allows me to post more freely without worrying about my audience. I also feel more confident posting here, and I think this is common among people with spam accounts since, like most accounts, only people I’m close to follow me.”

Most people portray a very perfect life on their regular Instagram accounts, so when people wanted to have a more private account, spam accounts were born and grew to become a standard for lots of teens and young adults.

As spam accounts have become popular and spread globally, they have left an impact on many people. In general, social media tends to unify people because it is a great source of communication, and all in all, a great way to share parts of your life with your followers, no matter where in the world they are. Aside from this, spam accounts have also allowed people to change their online identity.

Having a spam account means the people who follow both of your accounts identify you not only from what you post on your regular account, but also from what they see on your spam. This has also worked to bring people together since people can bond and form stronger friendships knowing they have this goofy side that they can relate to.

Overall, spam accounts are just another way for people to express themselves, but what makes them unique from a regular account is how people treat them as a more private way to share their true selves. Spam accounts may seem like a silly concept, but the truth is, they allow people to reveal the side of themselves they are too afraid to show on their regular account.